JohnC

There is nothing wrong with sitting EJ and allowing a pedestrian veteran qb demonstrate to EJ how to play the position. Giving him more time to compose himself and work on his mechanics might prove beneficial. One analyst who I think highly of, Greg Cosell, stated that EJ was a raw prospect with good tools who needed time to work on his game. No matter how much this staff wanted to force and accelerate his development it is not working. Entering this season the Bills were at best a fringe playoff team. If they continue playing EJ they are going to very quickly take themselves out of contention. You can see the frustration building on offense, especially with the receivers, with EJ at the helm. Now is the time to try another qb and allow EJ as a backup to work on his game. What more can be said that hasn't already been frequently said. You don't have to be a football guru to see how this offense is floundering. It's not only ugly football it is also not fair to the team. Making change now could possibly help the team and also in the long run help the young qb.

You are not correctly recollecting what happened when the public viewed the first video of the Rice dragging his unconscience wife out of the elevator. The combination of witnessing the first video and Goodell's subsequent lenient punishment was what sparked the outcry. The second vidoe of RR cold cocking his wife sent an additional torrent of outrage towards Goodell's judgment. The commissioner didn't belatedly take to the podium to acknowledge that he miserably failed in executing his disciplinary duties because he believed that the public was being typically fickle. The Ray Rice incident was not a recent isolated incident. There were glaring incidents with a Carolina player and a San Francisco player that was highlighted at the same time of the RR assault. Odds are that the panel is going to come up with a process that is clearer, more consistent and more transparent. This all knowing and powerful big sheriff in the room approach to discipline is going to go by the wayside. If you don't believe that what you call "fake public outrage" is the impetus for the change then we simply disagree as to why he is going through with what you believe to be an enormous charade. Whether the public outcry is sincere or not it is the reason why there will be upcoming changes on how the commissioner deals with these criminal acts. The NFLPA is absolutely right that the Sheriff in the office has been very erratic in his judgments regarding disciplinary actions. Actions that are not serious (weed consumption) are treated more harshly than actual serious criminal acts. The union wanting to bring some rationality and order to an erratic process is not an unreasonably stance to take.

You are creating a smokescreen that is immaterial. Yes, the players agreed to the structure for handling discipline? So what! Agreeing to the structure of an office does not mean that you agree with the performance.of the office. Your position makes little sense. If it's not his job to deal with ugly assaults then whose job is it? The criminal cases involving players go directly to his office where he then rules on the punishment. He alone has the authority to rule and dispose of those cases. Again, if it is not his job then whose job is it? If it is not his job then why is he at the podium stating that he failed in his performance? As far as the second video I don't understand why it is such an issue and why there is such a debate whether he saw the elevator video or not. Everyone knew what happened. The first video showing Rice dragging his wife out of the elevator like a sack of potatoes was more than enough to make a reasonable judgment call on the incident. Rice acknowledged to Goodell that he punched his wife in the elevator. So the discussion whether the commissioner saw that particular tape or not shouldn't be as big an issue as it is. Whether the public soon forgets about the issue doesn't matter much if the manner in which these type of cases are handled differently. You can fairly call it a public relations response but the end result is that his disciplinary approach is going to be dramatically changed. Goodell is doing what he has to do to protect the product and his livelihood. Is he acting out of self-preservation? Of course. There is nothing unusually about that. He is smart enough to know that he has to do a better job in dealling with the thug element in his lucrative game in order to keep receiving the golden checks. You might consider assaulting women a silly issue but it is not. It's a serious issue that has to be addressed not only in sports but also in society. It might be a frivolous issue to you but it isn't. On this issue our difference is over an attitude more than over an incident.

The notion that the players agreed with him having all the authority in disciplinary actions is not accurate. What choice did they have? Refuse to go along with that part of the negotiations and not have a deal? Tank the season for one aspect of the deal? The league had the muscle in the labor negotiation and they used it to their advantage. It was far from being a balanced labor/management deal. But that isn't the issue. The commissioner has the authority in these disciplinary proceedings and he's person most accountable when his judgment goes awry. When you sit in the big boss chair then you can't point your finger at the underlings when your judgment is flawed. The domestic abuse issue was going on before he assumed his position and during. He certainly isn't responsible for what went on prior to asuming his position but he certainly has not done much to change the approach to the issue until the revolting Rice assault was seen by the public. The anger toward Goodell is not misplaced because it is going directly toward the source of the authority who directly deals with the aftermath of an assult incident. Goodell is willing to admit from his podium that he did a poor job not only in dealing with this ugly assault but also to his handling the same persistent issue that has been going on during his tenure. Why do you think he is appointing so many people with impressive credentials to not only advise him but to deal with the issue for him? It isn't because he capably handled the problem since he assumed his well payed position.

Your response is perplexing. He created an organizational structure where he was a one man disciplinary office, the veritable sheriff in town. He was not only the judge and jury but he was the person to whom a discipline appeal went to. It blew up in his face over the Rice fiasco. He was the person who made player conduct his signature issue. The domestic abuse issue certainly was not a new issue. Criminal and abusive player conduct relating to women have been been going on for a long time, before and during his watch. Goodell the sheriff would hammer players more severely over weed issues compared to behavior related to female abuse. His disciplinary office had a very distorted value system in handling various issues. No one is disputing the fact that he did a terrific job in making a lot of money for his bosses. But that certainly doesn't mean that the manner in which he handled the Rice case and other similar cases that he conducted himself with a high moral and ethical standard. You may be singing his high praise but even he acknowledges that he has failed in properly fulfilling some of his important duties in his office.

Simmons knew exactly how his profane laced comments were going to be received by ESPN before he even said anything. He dared ESPN to go ahead and do something against him while profanely making his comments. In essence he was taunting his boss. The basis of his harsh judgments was well established. Goodell deserves blame how he has handled this issue all along, even prior to the Rice situation. There's nothing courageous or even illuminating about making that judgment. Even Goodell publicly admitted that he miserably failed on dealing with this issue. It's well understood that podcasts have much more leeway regarding profanity in its content. However, this was a contrived segment that spotlighted him more than it spotlilghted a serious issue that plagues not only the sports world but also society in general. It is sad that too much of the debate has been directed toward how he responded rather than the core of what he said.

You are astute! Next to the qb position the CB position might be the most difficult position to transition from the college to the pro game. If you then factor in that the now more strict interpreation of the rules regarding contact against the receivers further advantages the offensive players then you reallize that the position, already very challenging, is now even more challenging. I don't understand the excessive and harsh attention directed toward Gilmore in a game where his play had little to do with the outcome. As with the Spiller scrutiny the jaundiced eye toward Gilmore has more to do with the belief that CBs and RBS shouldn't be drafted in the first round rather than with an objective evaluation of these players. I have said it numerous times and will resolutely stick with my assessment until proven otherwise that Gilmore is a legitimate #1 CB and that he, if not now, will eventually be ranked in the top third at his position.

The analytical ranking of him met your eyeball test. It didn't meet mine. That's where we fundamentally disagree. If you want to use his injury history against him then go ahead. Although he has been plagued with injuries he has also played with those injuries. So his availability shouldn't be questioned. He played with a broken wrist last year. He was playing with one good arm and the other had a cast on it, making it very difficult to tackle. That's what I call availability! Apparently you don't consider him to be a #1 CB. I do. My position, contrary to yours, is that he is going to be a good #1 CB who will be ranked in the top third. You don't see him developing into that caliber of player. Let's just see how this plays out. You are confident in your stance just as I am confident in my stance.

My position is that he will be an authentic #1 CB. I believe, with confidence, that for his position he will be ranked in the upper third. I am far from being satisfied with his performance but I realize that he is impaired. I strenuously disagree with the assessment that he is the 66th best corner in the league. The early stats are not the final stats. Inaddition, he has been plagued with injuries that have hampered his preparation in the offseason and have hampered him early in the season. You consider his playing hurt to be an illegitimate excuse while I don't. Only time will tell who is more right than wrong on this player.

If EJ steadily gets better then that is a good situation to be in. What is his up side? I don't think that he will ever fall in the eltie category. Is playing right away going to accelerate his development or impede it? It will probably accelerate it. But the downside to that approach is that it will hinder the team in its ability to be a playoff team. I go back and forth on what are the limits to his potential. As has been frequently been noted his accuracy level is very erratic. That is very troubling. Can he improve in that area? Without a doubt he can. But the very good qbs in this league are consistently accurate even while under duress. EJ's physical tools are a plus. He is a high character person with a tremendous work ethic. Those attributes also favor his chances for success. But what is his ceiling? That is the issue that I grapple with when I watch him. He is not a refined passer and his mechanics are not consistent. Sometimes (not very often) he will make throws that wow you. But is it simply a tease? If you can't be a consistent passer then ultimately you are going to struggle.

The lamenting is over not taking Wilson or Cousins! Buddy Nix made a colossul blunder with the TJ Graham. Slightly moving up to pick him made that pick even more weird.

We simply disagree on Gilmore. I'm aware that he is currently not playing at a high level but I believe that it is due to injury reasons. In my opinion I see him not only as a number #1 corner but I see him being a CB who will rank in the upper third level for his position. Last year he played with a cast on his wrist. He showed me a lot from a character and physical standpoint. Let's just wait and see how this plays out. I'm as confident in my position as you are yours. Very often patience is more of a virtue than a liability.

You are miscasting my comments about EJ. Regarding the comparison between Rivers and EJ there is little to compare. Rivers is an upper echelon qb that I don't believe under any circumstances that Manuel will ever attain. That is not an indictment on him as a player. Qualitatively they are in very separate categories. But that doesn't mean that Manuel can't develop into a decent legitimate franchise qb. He has tools and is a high character person with an exceptional work ethic. In some respects (physical stature and raw throwing motion) he reminds me of Steve McNair This organizaton took a big gamble when they almost immediately installed him as a starter. There are a variety of ways to look at that approach to handling EJ. On the one hand it might be accelerating his development with early playing time. The flip side of that is that it hurts the chances of the team to seriously compete for the playoffs. I have not made a conclusive judgment on Manuel's ability to be a franchise qb. However, I have made a judgment on him that although potentially he can be a reasonable starter in this league he will never be an elite caliber of qb. His accuracy level and feel for the game simply are not in that realm. As far as my judgment on Gilmore I disagree with Badol's opinion on him. Right now he is contending with some nagging injuries that have hindered his game. But I'm confident that he will be a very good CB in this league.

I can respect you for hesitating on the comparison between Rivers and EJ. But I am not going to be as cautious in my opinion. I can say with absolute certitudethat EJ will not come close to being as good as Rivers. In baseball it's like comparing Trout to a less than 200 hitter. Some things are so obvious that there is no need to be cautious in rendering an opinion. The OL, especially the guard play, has been a major disappointment. That is certainly a factor in the struggling running game. Glenn is a quality LT and Henderson is a very pleasant surprise. If more passes were completed downfield that certainly would open up more space for the backs to maneuver. Until a credible downfield passing game is exhibited the defense is going to jam the line of scrimmage and take away the running lanes. So I'm not going to be as critical of the coaching staff as you are.

I say with absolute confidence that EJ will never attain the lofty level of play that Rivers has attained. Rivers is immensely a more talented passer and has a grasp of the game that EJ will never reach. That doesn't mean that EJ can't be a functional starting qb but his passing limitations (accuracy) are so glaring and his feel for the game is so robotic that his ceiling is limited compared to Rivers. Your standard for qbs is very low. In the prior two games EJ was average at best. What he did is not do anything to lose the games. If you are satisfied with that role that is okay. But accepting that low bar doesn't translate into elevating the team into the playoffs. If you and Bado want to get rid of Gilmore and McKelvin then who are your options to replace them? I think Gilmore and to a lesser extent are legitimate NFL starting corners. With respect to EJ at this point you want him to play so he will not hurt you. That is not a recipe to making the playoffs. In all of my many posts regarding EJ I have not claimed that he couldn't become a legitimate franchise qb. At this point he still has a long way to go.

You are already writing Gilmore off as an abject failure? You got to be kidding me! He didn't have a particular good game against one of the best qbs in the league. So let's run him out the door and replace him with a less talented player. That's a recipe for destablizing an already unstable franchise. I say this to you as I have often said to NYC Bill: Gilmore is going to be a very good CB in this league (top third) playing one of the most challenging positions on the field. If you think that by jettisoning a young talented player who had an average game against one of the top qbs in the league is the right approach to take for a struggling franchise then you are (in my opinion) very wrong and premature in your judgment. Gilmore was taken high in his draft year in the range where he was ranked. In my opinion he is going to be an anchor CB for us. If you might want to solidify your opinion of him at this early stage in his career that is your prerogative. But I'm not going to do that. I don't make it a habit to over-rate our players. With Gilmore I'm confident that he will soon play at a level I expect him to play at. On this issue we simply disagree. Only time will tell who is more right.

Claiming that a hip surgery procedure had little bearing on his conditioning makes little sense. Because of the surgery and rehabilitation time there is less time to get in peak condition. Almost every player who undergoes a knee procedure (not the cleanup scope procedure) is not the same caliber of player in his first year back. Odds are that the groin problems he is contending with are due to rushing back and training too hard before he was fully healed. It is interesting how Gilmore has become a focal point in NYC Bill's discussion. The Bills defensive backfiled corps was playing against one of the top qbs in the league. He made some terrific thread-needle throws in this game. A qb of his caliber is not going to be completely shut down. What was even more impressive is that on the few occasions he was under duress he got rid of the ball to the right player. Considering the caliber of the qb and the mostly good protection he received our defensive backfield overall did an adequate job. The Chargers are a good team with a high end qb and a good coaching staff. I thought the OC, Reich, called a superb game. The strategy was excellent and the execution was very good. The best way to describe our qb play was that it was [impotent. It doesn't matter how good your receivers are and how good your backfield is if you can't complete passes to your wideouts downfield then your offense is going to stagnate. Under that scenario you simply can't compete against a good team. It was evident to me as I watched the game. I never felt that we were going to win in this game. No matter how this game is analyzed the difference in the outcome was mostly due to the disparity in qb play. Make no mistake about what I'm saying. I'm not saying that EJ has to play to the same level of Rivers, that is not realistic. He simply will never be that good no matter how long he plays in this league. What I am saying is that he needs to play at a reasonable level to give our team a chance to compete. As far as I'm concerned the disproportionate attention payed to our DBs is a distracting issue to what this team's main problesm is. The bottom line is the GM (whom I like a lot) made a decision to start a raw qb prospect who has physical tools instead of bringing him along as a backup. That strategy might prove successful in accelerating his development but it has had a detrimental affect on the team's prospects of being a fringe playoff team.

Without a doubt he is not at his peak conditioning point. He had hip surgery this offseason, certainly affecting his training program. He has also had a lingering groin problem. Last year he played with a cast on his wrist, essentially playing with one arm. So it is unfair to say that he isn't committed and not giving his best effort as others have claimed or suggested.

Bill, I'm not sure what your point is. The way the game is being called the DBs are not going to dominate the receivers when they have an elite qb throwing to them, especially when he is not under duress. Seattle might be the only exception where the defensive backfield has the ability to dominate in the passing game. As far as I'm concerned Rivers demonstrated (at least to me) that he is a top tier qb. Our defensive backfield was average to a little less so against the Chargers. They didn't get much help with the pass rush and Rivers made a lot of tough throws. In this game they weren't the main cause for the loss, at least as I saw it.

I agree with you that this team has enough talent to be a (fringe) playoff team. However, I disagree with the basis of your proposition that other units have to step it up to compensate for the lack of qb productivity in order to win. That's not how I see it. Unless the play of our qb is elevated then this team is going to slide downwards as the season advances. Very few teams, especially in the NFL of today with the emphasis on passing, is going to be successful unless at the minimum the qb performs at an adequate level. In yesterday's game EJ threw to his wideouts 21 times. He completed only seven passes to them. In his dink and donk passes to the TE and RBs he was 16 for 18. The percentage seems high but the impact was inconsequential. The point that I am making is unless there is greater output by him the result will be more losses and more boring games. If his level of play can reach the average level then the team can compete. If he continues to flounder in the downfield passing game then the outcome is predictable.

Last year Gilmore was playing with a cast on his hand due to a broken wrist. This offseason he had hip surgery. He has also been affected by a severe groin injury. What you consider to be "incomplete effort" is he doing his best while playing with a painful and limiting groin problem. As I stated in a prior post the way the rules are being enforced immensely advantaging the receivers over the DBs. This is not excuse making. It is a major factor in all the games. Rivers is a top tier qb who demonstrated his high qb rankings by making a lot of high quality throws. Considering the lack of pass pressure and the way that Rivers quickly got rid of the ball to the right option I don't believe that our DBs played as poorly as some are portraying. The difference is this game was mostly due to the stark discrepancy between the teams' qbs. Of coures there were other factos such as the poor play of our OL. But it's my view that the play of our DBs was not a major factor in the outcome of this game.

The problem with the excessive amount of penalties isn't a promblem associated with this particular game but with the the referees are strictly enforcing the rules. I'm not blaming the refs for the tight way they are calling penalties because they have been instructed by the league to emphasize particular rules such as not impeding the receivers and not allowing even inadvertent touching of the face. They have no choice but to throw away their discretion and common sense because they are being graded on how they enforce the rules. For me the games have become almost unwatchable. There is little continuity in the play and after every incomplete pass there is an expectation of a flag to follow. As opposed to most critics of our DBs I have little problem with their play. Against a good qb such as Rivers they don't stand a chance because as the rules are currently interpreted they are dramatically skewed toward the advantages of the offense. It's my opinion that the lack of common sense and good judgment in officating the games has damaged the game.

In wathching this game I got the sense that the Chargers felt that they could play it very conservatively in the second half because they were confident that Buffalo couldn't generate any offense. In the first half when the Chargers needed to make a play on third down they did. In the second half they were much more risk adverse because they knew that the Bills couldn't accomplish much on offense. It appears that their strategy was to keep the clock running so they could get back to the warm climate of the west coast. When you watch qbs who are accurate and can seamlessly adjust to the pressure of the defense and compare it to our erratic and robotic qb play then it becomes apparent that until our level of qb play improves this franchise is not going anywhere, any time soon. At this point I have not made a conclusive judgment on EJ. But there are aspects to his game that I find troubling i.e. accuracy and feel for the game.

Bill, As you stated Dareus had an outstanding game. What was most impressive was that he stayed strong and impactful all game long. I thought our line play, especially the guards, was very poor. Because EJ is not throwing much downfield and is consistently inaccurate the defense is crowding the line. Even when EJ completes his passes more often than not his ball placement is horrible. He is putting the recievers in a very vulnerable position, as Williams can attest to. The running backs are playing in a tight area because the defense is crowding the line due to a lack of a passing threat. So I am going to be more accommodating in my assessment of them. The difference in this game was apparent to all. The disparity in qb play was the major difference. Rivers completed passes on a number of critical plays and EJ missed on his opportunities. There were a number of open plays to the recievers but he did not have the vision and timing to get the ball there, and when he did his passes were usually off the mark. I said it before the season started and I will say it again I don't believe that this is a playoff caliber team. At this point the qb play is not good enough. What this organization has to find out this year is whether Manuel is capable of establishing himself as a franchise qb. If he steadily improves then that is a good sign. Anyone who is very sure that he will or will not be a franchise qb is deluding themselves. This team is good enough now to make the playoffs with an established qb. But that isn't the situatiion the team is in. So there is little choice but to hope that EJ will get better the more he plays. The bottom line in this game is that the better team won. They deserved the win and we didn't.

You are wrong or simply misstated what the law is. If there is a report of an abuse I don't doubt that the law in the state you are referencing will require an investigation. But the law certainly doesn't require a prosecution for every report of an abuse case.