BackInDaDay

Timid as in, not allowing some very tough players to impose their will on the opponent because the coaches are technocrats, and the quarterbacks are inept

Marrone, Hackett, Orton and EJ should be cut loose asap. Promote Schwarz to HC , and let him hire a professional offensive staff. Our quarterbacks are incapable of making plays, and that isn't gonna change. Not for Orton.. not for Manuel. They aren't any good. Period. Marrone and Hackett have been blessed with a defensive and special team unit that can wreck games.. while their timid offensive schemes do nothing to challenge and threaten the opponent. Enough! Get a guy with some balls to play QB.. and coaches with the balls to turn him loose. What a friggin shame!

bad week to be facing the Pack - considering the Falcons exploited their coverages last week, and exposed deficiancies that were also present in the Pats game, prior to that. i don't think we can play with them, but if we can keep Rodgers between the Tackles, and get something from our STs, maybe 27-24 Bills is doable

definately the Bledsoe story.. keep him in the whole diving rig the entire movie.. just paint the helmet.. i can see Deniro as Parcells standing behind him with his stopwatch , screaming "FOUR SECONDS! FOUR SECONDS!"

yeah, reading about where they thought they were going when they were first hired - and knowing what we've seen over two years, might seem to be contradictory - but i don't think it is. as the second article pointed out - having two diverse backs in Freddie and CJ was a great duo that fit the attack. remember Hackett's early comments about using CJ? but i think that can all work itself out.. the thing that really set us back was the Kolb injury. he was adept at making quick reads and getting the ball out in a timed passing game. he was one of Briles favorites at Houston. that's the guy they needed to mentor EJ,.. and like you said, EJ just had too much work to do to develop an efficient passing attack. the kid was a vertical 'go get it' thrower, with mobility and a big arm - but no sense of how to deliver those crossing patterns that stretch things horizontal. that's why they went back to basics with him during the preseason - same as McCoy did with the vet Eli in NY - to match his footwork to his receivers routes. read Steve Young's comments about the importance of mechanics in this type of offense. i'm paraphrasing, but he talks about the ability to make a pre-snap read, continue through the drop, plant the foot, and throw - else bounce to next read, bounce to next read, then take off. anyway, when EJ couldn't make plays, and the O was holding the team back, they had to switch him put for a guy who had more accuracy, with no mobility. add to the confusion, the inexperience of the receivers, which is why they brought Rob Moore in.. i'm thinking Hackett thought they could expand the O with Orton because he was up to challenge of making the kinds of quick reads on all his receivers that Young talks about - this just leaves the receivers to make their individual reads to be in the right place when the ball comes out.. we're still real shaky there.. sometimes we hit, sometimes we miss - but it adds an element of sophistication to what they had to do with EJ - which was simple route running without adjustments. so we throw the ball to stretch the D wider which in theory should allow us to widen our gaps because there's less penetration by the D when the balls out.. and those wider gaps should lend themselves to some effective zone blocking for our backs.. but we aren't very good at that because our guys are not very agile and can't get to their second level blocks. this allows defenses to play us with 7 in the box.. which makes life even harder on our timed passing game.. where most plays take place in front of the opposing safeties.. it's tough.. to put it all together.. but if we get agile on the line, and can get EJ more comfortable in what he's seeing, we could see a real turn around next season.

Matthew McConaughy told me i had to go back, to know where i was going - and i try to listen to Matt whenever possible

i get it.. it's not for everyone, but i actually found the info to be a combination of both optimistic - knowing that successful offenses, including the one we'll face this weekend, have done it.. and pessimistic - understanding that it can fail miserably without the right personnel. i think that two years into it, we can go either way - depending on whether EJ can work the system, or if another WCO-type quarterback is available.

my curiosity over our offense's commitment to a horizontal passing game, led me to research our young OC's coaching influences.. beginning with his father. this may be old news to many, or even most of you - but for those who are unaware, Paul Hackett was on the staffs of some prolific offensive squads which employed west coast passing attacks. from helping develop the 49er's Joe Montana for Bill Walsh, to teaching the system to the Packer's Mike McCarthy when they were both at the Univ of Pitt and later, with the Chiefs.. he's had quite a career installing the quick timed passing game in both major colleges and the NFL. this 2013 preseason article gives us a condensed, but telling, glimpse into the football evolution of both Paul and Nate. http://www.buffalone...n-game-20130722 this 2013 preseason article does a very good job of laying out where the author believes the newly acquired offensive minds of Syracuse coaches Hackett and Marrone would try to take the Bill's new offense - including some interesting insights of what would be needed. http://www.buffalobi...ackett-offense/ there are mountains of articles, filled with interesting retrospectives that might help explain why we've seen what we've seen on sunday afternoons this season. i recall an earlier article or interview this pre-season, that confirmed how the coaches were trying to time EJs drop to the routes - the most basic of WCO quarterback techniques. this last article was written just before Nate's dad was released by the Jets.. it sounds a bit familiar. http://www.nytimes.c...6jets.html?_r=0

If I may.. yes! I thought it was this kind of loosey goosey execution that got Hilliard fired.

This afternoon I bought the $10 , 7 day gamerewind subscription, to see for myself what's happening. I didn't read the small print that tells customers that the coaches views aren't included in the weekly.. duh.. but they cancelled it and say they're going to refund the ten bucks.. But I did see something on the broadcast view that was eerily reminiscent of what i saw last year. On Orton's first pick, the Bronco LB who made the play, barely had to move. Both.. and I repeat.. both Chandler and Hogan curled to either side of him - Chandler to his right, and Hogan to his left. This is ridiculous execution at the high school level, and the fact that a 10 year vet chose to throw it makes it even more bewildering. We've been running into coverages for two years! Watch it if you get a chance. Also.. the forced throw to Woods, whose CB shadowed and jumped his route was another head scratcher.. there wasn't any seperation, and Orton waited until these two drove to the goaline and the single safety over the top, before throwing it. I know I'd find a lot more atrocities like this if it were my job.. but I' m telling you guys.. a freakin team in wheelchairs could defend some of these routes

they're taking applications for the Bill's "seemed like a good idea at the time" department. they're located in the third stall of the second floor men's room - next to the analytics dept,

hire a HC who knows that the rules allow forward passes beyond 20 yards, and O linemen downfield on runs - and let him hire somebody with a watch to get this D to the field on time

4) i think it's a bit of both.. we'd have to analyse an all-22 to understand why Orton - like EJ, before him - won't pull the trigger on downfield throws when the game is young. 8) it's ok not to be overly critical of Orton. he competes to the best of his ability, but his play is uninspiring. there were many Bills fighting for an extra yard today. Kyle wasn't among them.

Orton played like Cutler today.. and looked satisfied after the game, just like Jay would

yep - Orton must have gotten a heart transplant from Cutler

orton's dumping it off prematurely - that last replay showed a receiver getting seperation 20 yards down the middle..

we have to throw the damn thing downfield - get some chunks.. these were nice drives, but we need our WRs to get open!

team looks good - have to get guys open downfield.. would love to see why Orton didn't pull the trigger on the play prior to the screen.. need some seperation

haven't seen an open receiver yet - other than the Hogan play - let's go vertical

we shall overcome

Power sweep to Ware's side. . bang him.. bang him.. bang him.. make him feel like an old baller.. take his heart

Take one more lap, then return my skates to Satan..

We're gonna need turnovers, limit our knuckleheaded D penalties, and take O chances downfield.. if we squander opportunities against an opponent of this quality, we won't stay in the game. stay focused, and relentless for 60, and we gotta shot

great OP, as usual.. but i can't get excited scheming our D when the outcome of the game is truly in the hands of our O. we will have a very difficult time run and pass blocking the Denver D, and getting free from their press-cover CBs and the SS they have roaming back there. hope you guys figure out how to pitch a shut out.

Press cover CBs, aggressive SS, stout D line, Von Miller & Ware, Fox & Del Rio.. There's another post asking what's Hackett thinking about.. i'm guessing it's these guys