Rockinon

The Bills beating NE on their turf and with our backup QB is just what the doctor ordered. QB controversy? Good. I hope it lights a fire under both of our young QBs and makes them hungrier.

Lost to NE on a last second FG, lost to Cincy in OT, played a tough game against KC, got beaten easily in NO, beat the Panthers, beat the Ravens, beat the Dolphins twice. Some stability at QB and a couple of missing pieces in the lineup and we can hang with any of them. Seahawks and Denver in the SB?

This argument seems to be going around in circles. Who is the best player on the field today Thad or EJ? Who gives you the best chance to win today? This is what the coach must ask himself. Could an injury influence his decision?.....absolutely. His decision however is based on who gives you the best opportunity to win. EJ's injury is to his LCL....a sprain to his knee that will limit lateral movement. He can still play. The coach wants a win though and that is the deciding factor. He feels Thad gives him the best chance. I'm sorry you think the Bills have no chance of winning anyway. It must be awful for you. The decision was still about winning. If you think Thad is a better QB than EJ, you still have a lot to learn, little sis.

Don't sweat it. You know I can't resist busting on you when I get the chance. It's my job.

Oh, no! You didn't.

Sit the starters.......................no. I like this scenario better. http://www.rantsports.com/nfl/2013/12/28/buffalo-bills-defense-should-exploit-aling-new-england-patriots-protection/

OK. Here is one fan's take on why Thad should start. http://billsmafia.com/2013/12/28/thad-lewis-remains-best-option-beat-patriots/ Nice read. And I agree with much of it.

Yea, like the aroma from stepping into "fresh" doggy doo.

We can control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. NE has been horrible at stopping the run since Wilfork went down. And their OL has weaknesses to exploit. Was just noticing Brady has been sacked 39 times this year so far. That's about middle of the pack. He has been sacked within 2.5 seconds more than any QB in the league. Hope Pettine has some blitz packages designed to get there quick. Robey, maybe? Interior linemen? They are also concerned about their secondary....just promoted 2 DBs from the practice squad.

You haven't made enough posts to have an informed opinion on a starting QB. Sorry, I had to say that.

LOL

I think it would have to be a healthy EJ until he proves otherwise.

No. If the coach was so concerned about the injury, EJ would not even be listed as doubtful. He would be ruled out, period. His bottom line decision is 100% based on who will be the best player on the field. Why is this so hard for people to understand? Marone has even stated numerous times that is how he decides the starters. We are the ones who are over analyzing and over complicating his decision. It's really all about trying to get the win and you do that by putting the best player out there. He could also be going with the hot hand. Thad had a big win over Miami, but I don't want to get into this topic because it's just speculation.

No. Not saying Thad is a better QB at all. Just that Thad is the better QB today. Forget the injury. While practicing, coach thought that the best player should be on the field this week. He made the decision and moved on. We on the other hand can't seem to let it go.

The bolded is my biggest concern. Every time EJ came back from injury, he would stink it up. Even when he didn't his play in the first qtr of games was absolutely terrible. He seems to need a lot of time to warm up and get moving.

You mean like getting after Tanney did?

You are missing the point. It is not about resting someone who is hurt. It is about putting the player on the field with the best chance of winning, period. Coach feels that right now. Sometimes we over complicate things with an abundance of speculation. Sometimes you just make a decision and then move forward. Simple.

They also beat the Ravens and the Panthers. The team has shown a lot of progress and also a lot of inexperience from coaches to rookies. I cannot get on board with losing. Being 4-2 in the division spells trouble.......for the rest of the AFCE. This game is something to build off of and it begins with winning.

No Wolfork, no problem. The RBs rush for 200+ yards, eat up lots of clock. Patriots get a few chances, but the D has a big day. I'm sticking with 24-10, Bills.

Coy? Seriously? Coach said he was 110% confident EJ would be ready for NE. He obviously did not know at the time how serious the injury was. He made no promises. He wasn't being coy. He merely stated what he thought at the time. Why does this stuff get turned around to the point where people simply disregard what what said and start making up new meanings and begin over analyzing everything? Coy!!!

This game is the spring board for what will happen next year. I think the Bills have quietly been improving all season, even with the revolving door at the QB position. NE won't know what hit them when the Bills roll right over them. 24-10 Bills

Last I checked we were 6-9 not 6-10. That is all.

C'mon McKinney, you're just making excuses now.

The Bills have allowed the 7th most Sacks and the 4th most QB hits in the NFL. The Bills are 26th running to the right side. 16th up the center and 5th rushing to the left. Rushing to the left on 1st down, 22nd. All of these stats come from NFL.COM HERE. Just click on the catagory at the top of the chart to rearange by that catagory. Looking at this more closely indicates that the OL is a mess. And also that runs to the left on on 1st down should be minimized( Are you seeing this, Hackett?) The offensive line needs work. Whether it's coaching, lack of talent or the merry-go-round of QBs(this does effect OL play), I don't know. But the OL definitely needs work.

This nails it. Some studs on the OL might fix that. Might even fix CJ. One thing does stand out in this league. You can't keep up with a lot of teams unless you get your passing numbers up. Again, perhaps some help on the OL can help. I sure hope our young QBs can stay healthy enough next year to get the reps they need too. Pretty optimistic things are starting to come around.