A Few Thoughts About The Game, in no particular order.....

[BADOLBILZ]

If he improves Chad has the chance to become a decent backup QB.

 

 

 

To the bolded, the Bills have lots of talent on defense.

 

On offense they have some nice building blocks in Cordy Glenn, Eric Wood, and EJ Manuel.

 

Unfortunately the Bills wide receiving corps is woeful, they have average tight ends, a slightly better than average offensive line, and your props to Hackett notwithstanding, an unproven and inexperienced OC who may or may not be up to the job.

 

For anyone who is accustomed to watching and evaluating rookie QBs (apparently very few people on this board) EJ Manuel is the least of the Bills problems.

 

The teams receiving corps is not woeful. Unproductive? Yes. But the quarterback position was horrendous this year. Just deplorably bad relative to the rest of the NFL.

 

That isn't the least of the Bills problems..............that is the MAIN problem and main concern going forward.

 

As for your acumen with regard to evaluating rookie QB's.......I'd love to hear your detailed evaluation.

[Bill from NYC]

If he improves Chad has the chance to become a decent backup QB.

 

Which is very scary because at this point he is playing better than EJ. Where would that leave him?

[thebandit27]

Which is very scary because at this point he is playing better than EJ. Where would that leave him?

 

I'm still interested in hearing an expansion on why you believe Thad is playing better than EJ? Obviously I disagree, but I'm not here to tell you that you're wrong; I simply want to understand what others are seeing that I'm not.

[CodeMonkey]

I'm still interested in hearing an expansion on why you believe Thad is playing better than EJ? Obviously I disagree, but I'm not here to tell you that you're wrong; I simply want to understand what others are seeing that I'm not.

That point may well be moot anyway. With Marrone basically anointing Manuel the starter next season I would imagine Thads agent is already shopping around for a place where there would at least be competition for the starter position.

[K-9]

That point may well be moot anyway. With Marrone basically anointing Manuel the starter next season I would imagine Thads agent is already shopping around for a place where there would at least be competition for the starter position.

 

1.) Thad's agent knows his client is signed with Buffalo for another year so I don't think he's shopping yet.

 

2.) Naming a starting QB doesn't preclude competition for the job. EJ will have to compete even harder to keep it. Someone has to be listed #1 on the depth chart. Marrone named EJ. That's as far as it goes. If Manuel proves not to deserve those reps, Lewis or whomever Marrone names #2 will get them instead. The only people that think Manuel won't have to compete for the job are fans seeking to find far more meaning in a rather routine matter.

 

Now, given the nature of how EJ's rookie year unfolded, it's understandable that some would think it means more than it does. But it really doesn't. It's simply not a big deal.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[CodeMonkey]

1.) Thad's agent knows his client is signed with Buffalo for another year so I don't think he's shopping yet.

Right you are! I wonder why I thought he was a free agent now.

[RevWarRifleman]

A few of my season thoughts:

1. I think Thad throws the ball downfield better than EJ and will throw it into tighter coverage than EJ is willing to risk. I also think he makes faster reads than EJ. He is also very scattered armed.

2. There are only 2 receivers on this team I see as part of the long term future Woods and Goodwin,. Hogan-Easley, nothing burgers, TJ Graham is a few hundred yards of receiving a year, with speed that doesnt really show itself on the field and has suspect hands. And Stevie is just an enigma, has bursts of productivity and bursts of choking, but doesnt really have big play ability. Plus his oh well no biggie on the fumble/drops bothers me.

3. This team needs playmakers, come through in the clutch playmakers. I hate to lose, refuse to lose, playmakers.

4. I'll get crap from some for this but the culture of failure is real. How can a team win between 4-7 games for 9 years straight? Why is there always this sub-mediocre ceiling for almost a full decade? You can say this guy wasnt coaching then or these players weren't on the team then. I hear ya, but I also know that the entire roster isnt overturned every year. Plenty of guys in that locker room have seen this team come up small in big moments. Pick your poison on ways to find a way to lose; penalties, cant stop the run, give up big passing plays, key interception, drops, fumbles, special teams play. It's mind numbing in it's consistency of futility.

5. How does this team have stats each year the boggle the mind. Like losing to Cleveland and Derek Anderson throwing for just about nothing. Last year it was the 300yds given up in rushing and passing in a game. This year it was losing to the Jets despite the Jets giving up the most penalty yards and winning a game since before a lot of your fathers we born and it was some team I never heard of, thats the kind of record we match. Or before the game I heard we could be one of 4 team to record 60 sacks, we would of been the only one with a losing record.

6, Nate you need to learn to use CJ Spiller in space, improve the red zone offense.

7. For all the love Pettine got this year, the run D got worse down the strech with a relativley fully healthy defense.

8. This team needs a great draft to get over the hump and in the playoffs. Odds are we arent going to unseat the Patriots for the AFC east division, that leaves 2 WC spots for a playoff berth. So this team has to get past the likes of the Chiefs, Chargers, Steelers, Ravens, Dolphins, Titans, Jets, Texans(who have talent and a top pick). Sure you can say we were better than some of them but to make the playoffs we have to better than all but one of them. Thats cold hard reality.

9. Motto for 2014----No excuses.

10. Go Bills!!!

714, I agree w/ all of this. The way I see it, #'s 3 & 4 are at the core. Go Bills in 2014. No Excuses!!

 

Thanks Bill from NYC for posting "Thoughts........" all through the season. Go Bills in 2014.

[Bill from NYC]

 

 

I'm still interested in hearing an expansion on why you believe Thad is playing better than EJ? Obviously I disagree, but I'm not here to tell you that you're wrong; I simply want to understand what others are seeing that I'm not.

Please do remember that these are opinions on a message board. Also do take into account that I am as likely to be "right" as I am "wrong." You want proof? I thought that Rob Johnson was going to be a franchise quarterback. How sad is that? Now wrt JP Losman, I knew that he was a horror show from day 1. It was clear as a bell.

 

Imo, Manuel has a much higher ceiling and a MUCH lower floor than Thad. EJ is bigger, and this means a whole hell of a lot imo. When I watch EJ, he appears to be moving in quicksand. He is good on short tosses but not so good on longer throws, which one would think would come easier to someone with his skillset. He can run, but he waits too long and sometimes appears to be lumbering. I wanted this to be something that he uses. He will NEVER be Andrew Luck in terms of being so insanely accurate that he can avoid called quarterback runs. He truly needs to run to be really effective imo.

 

Maybe it's because he has been in the league longer, but imo Thad is much better able to time plays. His throw to Lee Smith against Miami was flat out great. The TD to Graham vs. NE was something that he set up. He reminds me of Fitz with a slightly better arm. Manuel is a smart kid no doubt, but Thad attended Duke. I have a strong opinion that Lewis will get at least a little better. I am not sure how much better EJ will get, so I really do hope that the Bills draft another qb sooner than later. That is what it's all about these days, QB play.

 

I am not afraid to state opinions. This is why we are here. Do I think that EJ will ever be a top 10 qb in this league? I truly hope so, but my prediction is no. How about you? Do you care to predict how good EJ will be? If so, please do explain why.

[mead107]

EJ will be good. In my opinion

 

Everyone in to days world wants that instant success some times it takes time.

[billsfan714]

714, I agree w/ all of this. The way I see it, #'s 3 & 4 are at the core. Go Bills in 2014. No Excuses!!

 

Thanks Bill from NYC for posting "Thoughts........" all through the season. Go Bills in 2014.

 

Thanks I appreciate it.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

The teams receiving corps is not woeful. Unproductive? Yes. But the quarterback position was horrendous this year. Just deplorably bad relative to the rest of the NFL.

 

That isn't the least of the Bills problems..............that is the MAIN problem and main concern going forward.

 

As for your acumen with regard to evaluating rookie QB's.......I'd love to hear your detailed evaluation.

 

As I've posted several times now (and no one has answered), when was the last time a successful NFL receiving corps consisted of 2 rookies and a 2nd year disappointment in your top 4 wideouts?

 

Exactly 3 rookie wide receivers made a solid veteran type contribution this year. Keenan Allen, Terrence Williams (very modest stats), and Cordarelle Patterson (late season burst for a prodigious talent).

 

Tavon Austin made more frequent splash plays in the second half of the season but his impact in no way was commensurate with his draft status. A few other rookies (Hopkins) gave glimpses of their talent.

 

Rookie wideouts that make an impact are the exception, just like rookie QBs who make an impact are the exception.

 

Why is it that on a board with so many supposedly knowledgeable fans, these facts are overlooked?

 

The receiving corps on this team is woeful. Hopefully by this time next year, this year's rookies will have crossed the line into becoming competent NFL receivers.

 

Which is very scary because at this point he is playing better than EJ. Where would that leave him?

 

Let me just say that Lewis was a 4-year starter at Duke and threw nearly 300 more passes in college than did EJ.

 

On top of that he is a 26 year old, 4-year veteran with an underdog mentality who plays with conviction. The kind of conviction a guy plays with when he knows he's clinging to the NFL by his fingertips.

 

In spite of these advantages, Thad is not as good a QB as EJ IMO so we'll disagree on this one.

[BADOLBILZ]

As I've posted several times now (and no one has answered), when was the last time a successful NFL receiving corps consisted of 2 rookies and a 2nd year disappointment in your top 4 wideouts?

 

Exactly 3 rookie wide receivers made a solid veteran type contribution this year. Keenan Allen, Terrence Williams (very modest stats), and Cordarelle Patterson (late season burst for a prodigious talent).

 

Tavon Austin made more frequent splash plays in the second half of the season but his impact in no way was commensurate with his draft status. A few other rookies (Hopkins) gave glimpses of their talent.

 

Rookie wideouts that make an impact are the exception, just like rookie QBs who make an impact are the exception.

 

Why is it that on a board with so many supposedly knowledgeable fans, these facts are overlooked?

 

The receiving corps on this team is woeful. Hopefully by this time next year, this year's rookies will have crossed the line into becoming competent NFL receivers.

 

 

 

Let me just say that Lewis was a 4-year starter at Duke and threw nearly 300 more passes in college than did EJ.

 

On top of that he is a 26 year old, 4-year veteran with an underdog mentality who plays with conviction. The kind of conviction a guy plays with when he knows he's clinging to the NFL by his fingertips.

 

In spite of these advantages, Thad is not as good a QB as EJ IMO so we'll disagree on this one.

 

The Bills receiving corps starts with Stevie Johnson and Scott Chandler..........like them or not, they are quality NFL targets. Woods was solid as a rookie....when EJ wasn't getting the man KILLED with shabby throws.......and Goodwin was impressive when healthy too. The Bills offense got them open A LOT and a good QB would have done very well with that group. Add in good receiving ability in the RB group and we aren't talking about a "woeful" group of receivers. Yes, TJ Graham was the weakness......but even he was open a lot. If they had retained David Nelson to play the slot and kept Stevie outside this would have been a good to very good receiving corps. Am I thrilled with them? No because I don't think small targets are a good fit in Buffalo......but Whaley/Nix seem to want to follow the Pittsburgh method and nobody has made stars out of undersized speedy wideouts like Big Ben.

 

As for the "kind of conviction a guy plays with when he knows he's clinging to the NFL by his fingertips"......that's what happens when you are forced to compete.

[San Jose Bills Fan]

The Bills receiving corps starts with Stevie Johnson and Scott Chandler..........like them or not, they are quality NFL targets. Woods was solid as a rookie....when EJ wasn't getting the man KILLED with shabby throws.......and Goodwin was impressive when healthy too. The Bills offense got them open A LOT and a good QB would have done very well with that group. Add in good receiving ability in the RB group and we aren't talking about a "woeful" group of receivers. Yes, TJ Graham was the weakness......but even he was open a lot. If they had retained David Nelson to play the slot and kept Stevie outside this would have been a good to very good receiving corps. Am I thrilled with them? No because I don't think small targets are a good fit in Buffalo......but Whaley/Nix seem to want to follow the Pittsburgh method and nobody has made stars out of undersized speedy wideouts like Big Ben.

 

As for the "kind of conviction a guy plays with when he knows he's clinging to the NFL by his fingertips"......that's what happens when you are forced to compete.

 

I disagree with your assessment of our wideouts. Woods and Goodwin were just two more rookie wideouts lost in the woods.

 

As for your last paragraph, I'm not sure why you felt compelled to add that.

 

I advocated drafting another QB in the 2014 draft way before most of you.

 

I can look up the posts for you or you can look them up yourself.

 

Let me know. It's a simple search.

[thebandit27]

 

Please do remember that these are opinions on a message board. Also do take into account that I am as likely to be "right" as I am "wrong." You want proof? I thought that Rob Johnson was going to be a franchise quarterback. How sad is that? Now wrt JP Losman, I knew that he was a horror show from day 1. It was clear as a bell.

 

Imo, Manuel has a much higher ceiling and a MUCH lower floor than Thad. EJ is bigger, and this means a whole hell of a lot imo. When I watch EJ, he appears to be moving in quicksand. He is good on short tosses but not so good on longer throws, which one would think would come easier to someone with his skillset. He can run, but he waits too long and sometimes appears to be lumbering. I wanted this to be something that he uses. He will NEVER be Andrew Luck in terms of being so insanely accurate that he can avoid called quarterback runs. He truly needs to run to be really effective imo.

 

Maybe it's because he has been in the league longer, but imo Thad is much better able to time plays. His throw to Lee Smith against Miami was flat out great. The TD to Graham vs. NE was something that he set up. He reminds me of Fitz with a slightly better arm. Manuel is a smart kid no doubt, but Thad attended Duke. I have a strong opinion that Lewis will get at least a little better. I am not sure how much better EJ will get, so I really do hope that the Bills draft another qb sooner than later. That is what it's all about these days, QB play.

 

I am not afraid to state opinions. This is why we are here. Do I think that EJ will ever be a top 10 qb in this league? I truly hope so, but my prediction is no. How about you? Do you care to predict how good EJ will be? If so, please do explain why.

 

As I said, I merely was looking to understand what you were seeing in Lewis.

 

Regarding my EJ prediction, I do think he'll be good. How good? Probably in the Matt Ryan/Joe Flacco realm, which is good enough to win a Superbowl with the right pieces in place.

 

You know that I understand that you state your opinions, and that I enjoy the discourse. Please don't take my questioning as challenging validity.

 

Just trying to take all perspectives into account. I couldn't care less about being right or wrong; I want the team to win.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

That point may well be moot anyway. With Marrone basically anointing Manuel the starter next season I would imagine Thads agent is already shopping around for a place where there would at least be competition for the starter position.

 

Good imagination, CodeMonkey, but that's all it is I believe:

 

1. Thad is under contract to the Bills through 2014. Thad's agent can shop, but no buyers unless the Bills release him or they trade.

2. Based on a completion record of 59.2% this year and a 3 year NFL career with 5 TD, 4 INT, 21 sacks, 185 yds/game and a 2-4 record, who do you imagine these teams to be who will be wanting to sign Thad Lewis to compete as a starter?

 

I disagree with your assessment of our wideouts. Woods and Goodwin were just two more rookie wideouts lost in the woods.

 

Goodwin yes, Woods looked pretty polished for a rookie IMO