BackInDaDay

i'd like to see the play again, but i got the impression the CB gave up his coverage responsibilities when he thought Manuel was going to run upfield - and the safety(?) wasn't prepared for his teammate's early departure. i also think that EJ made several good throws - it's just that his stinkers killed drives, which squader potential scoring opportunities.

EJ came up huge at a point in the game when i, for one, was about to leave this game for dead. i've been waiting to see him become a playmaker since we got him, and today he delivered. Unfortunately, his inconsistent play throughout the day - specifically, his poor choices and inability to complete passes that would have kept drives alive - put us in the position we were in when that play was made. it's gonna be a frustrating season, fellow fans. our STs, D, and run offense break down occasionally, but for the most part - play consistently sound football. we have to get consistent play from our pass offense. speaking of which... what was up with those routes that resulted in the drive killing pick? there was little separation between the receivers, and their close proximity to each other brought defenders - invited disaster.

so it's not just the Bills having trouble scoring..

the coaches worked with EJ all summer to synch up his footwork with his receivers' routes.. whether it was a long stride drop from under center, or a short stride drop from the shotgun - it was the means to develop a rhythm in delivering the ball. in season, there probably isn't enough time to continue reinforcing his fundamentals, but on game day, the coaches have to recognize when their QB's timing has been upset - whether it be the coverage on the called timing routes, a fierce pass rush, the perception of a pass rush due to inaccurate pre-snap reads, or all of the above. they need to have a plan when this happens.. some set of plays they can call to bring EJ and the receivers back in synch. I don't see EJ becoming a consistently accurate passer - that's a gift from the football gods - but he has talent, and will have his moments. he keeps his eyes downfield, and can dismiss non-threatening activity in and around the pocket. he does have a tendency to fall back into a flat-footed posture after deciding he can't execute his first or second option. this is when he needs his 'go to' plays - a series of designed dropbacks and/or rollouts that accompany some well-timed routes he can hit blind-folded. defenses earn their money trying to frustrate quarterbacks. the Charger's definitely earned their's last week, but as disappointed i was with EJ's perceived regression - i was equally disappointed by the staff's inability to get him comfortable enough to compete.

and put EJ under center more. get him back to using the footwork of his drop to plant his foot and drive the ball - hopefully, with better accuracy. they worked on synchronizing his footwork with the routes all summer, but they may have taken it's importance for granted after opening the playbook for the season and game planning took precedence over fundamentals. yesterday, he looked like he couldn't find his rhythm. the coaches have to recognize when that happens, and settle him down by asking him not to over think the next series.. just concentrate on his footwork and uncork it. his accuracy issues won't go away, but maybe his efficiency will increase - which on some days, might be enough. i'll have to try to catch a replay, to see if any of this holds water, but my intuition tells me there's a reason EJ looked particularly lost yesterday when he had time to make plays.

agree with your two cents, and this isn't the first time i've read this today. maybe there's a silver lining after all

that brought me to my feet ...but i'm thinking, this may be EJ's true 'game', not the pocket passer.. the new age QB who plays the position on the move.

nothing on those two, but Goodwin thinks his name is Joyce.. and she can fly.

i'm guessing they have something going by way of a real quick cross block, or some stunt, that they think can spring CJ into the secondary.. and it does make next week's DC use 20 minutes of this week's practice to coach on it. ..and by the way, i always enjoy the way your weekly post creates discussion here..

with all respect, we could have been in the game if our QB made more plays.. the Chargers pretty much took a knee in the 4th quarter. i can't recall seeing an offense so disrespected.

EJ will never be an accurate passer, and this flaw in his game will keep him from making plays when the defense anticipates the pass. i think the poor decision making and hurried throws may work themselves out as he gains experience, but his inability to complete passes downfield looks like it's already crept into what Hackett calls. this gives the opponent a heck of an advantage defending us.

yes. we definitely have some depth and diverse skills back there, and we'll need em all tomorrow

i've been starving my dogs for a month and beating them on a daily basis today i let them run outside where they attacked my neighbors i watched this happen then called the police to put them down bad dogs

even with the Matthews out, i respect what i've seen over the years from both Donald Brown and Danny Woodhead.. tough runners who've been playmakers in the league for good squads.. they're both trouble when they get to the second level, so Searcy and Williams must come up strong in run support. this, while dealing with Gates and whatever routes are run behind his clearing routes. there'll be lots of switch-offs this week in our secondary to defend these guys.. with the day Gates had against the Seahawks, he's already impacted our D gameplan - even if he's not targeted as much. this will be a great challenge.. the kind truly solid teams respond to. it's gonna be fun!

good stuff, Steve. enjoy the crap out of tomorrow's win!

on Fox.. two sluggers goin at it

i think that the angst we all feel, is the unanswered question of if we will score touchdowns when we need them.. i agree with all who point out that the 'risk / reward' of having EJ throw into narrow end-zone windows - which cannot be completed without a confident sense of anticipation by the QB - wasn't warranted in the last game.. ..and i understand why some feel this limits what can be called.. it does.. now. but as the season ages, i'm guessing.. not so much.

looks like the ghost of the original Fred-Ex still haunts the town.. http://www.americanlegends.com/Interviews/fred_exley.html this was a great book from what i remember, and this interview sums up the author pretty well

That's good advice.. nothing blinds a fair perspective like a pre-conceived notion

you're right..

if it was Miami's gameplan to run the ball to get our d-line on it's heels, that took a major hit when they lost Moreno. As stout as Spikes is against the run, he's the type of backer OCs try to isolate in coverage - and Spikes will be the first to admit that. Depends on how our DC thinks Rivers will attack us. To the OP's question concerning Spikes playing time, he's just not versatile enough to be on the field with coverage responsibilities - but we won't see any repeats of our last Pats game with him available

the closer you get to the goalline - the less space you have to work with - which is why the fade route is so popular.. the receiver runs away from the congestion.. it's also why corners will take the outside away - hoping to funnel the receiver back to the box where additional defenders can take advantage of an errant or tipped throw. until EJ's comfortable working the middle of the field from more spacious field positions, don't expect to see many throws into traffic down there.. if we want to take shots where there's enough space for the receiver to get seperation, then we should do it on our approach

the talent ranges from solid to above average to exceptional.. and we have depth, and are strong in all 3 dimensions of the game.. i hope Mr Whaley sticks around for awhile. we're already tough to beat, and if we can get better production in the red zone, we'll become that team no one wants on their schedule

..and Woods play on STs speaks volumes about his desire to excel whenever given the opportunity