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

[thewildrabbit]

Watched a lot of games today. Kirk Cousins and Nick Foles put on a display of downfield passing. Foles had a very limited running game today, and by the fourth quarter had 4 backup o lineman playing. Somehow he kept stroking it.

 

They showed what accurate, down field passing looks like.

 

EJ could not answer that call today. When other phases of the game and team are having a rough day, a high quality QB can still move the ball. Not every time (Aaron Rodgers today), but they give you a "punchers chance".

 

Bill, I agree with your thoughts. Dareus was a beast, A Wiliams played his rear off, F Jax is a pros pro, Gilmore looked bad, and CJ is a conundrum.

and you have to think, is this entirely all on EJ? Or is it a weak coaching staff, young receivers that are not in sync with the QB, and exactly why is that? I would love to see EJ sling it around like those two. He needs proper protection early on to gain the confidence to attempt those throws. He didn't have that from what I saw.

 

 

Phillip Rivers showed what it was like to play behind a bad O line in 2012, as he was under constant duress that year, and was constantly making mistakes game after game. We all saw him today behind a vastly improved O line that didn't get penalty's on every big play like Buffalo seemed to do. While they really didn't open holes for the 3rd string RB. They did give more then adequate pass protection all game long. Plus, he has a good experienced receiver corps that ran the proper routes, and caught everything that came their way. Better coaching, better players surrounding Rivers really helped him.

[Seasons1992]

 

12) EJ goes down just a bit too easy for someone his size, especially on running plays.

 

 

He's gunshy from last years injuries and also we've been yelling at him to not get hurt. This is to be expected. Let's chalk up today to losing to a really good team. If he looks bad like today against the Fitztexans, then we've got an issue.

[BADOLBILZ]

Manuel is afraid to throw the ball downfield unless the target is wide open, especially if that receiver is what I'd call a "point" target. That's to say, someone standing ready to receive the ball and not running. EJ may not throw many picks, and some may chalk this up to Hackett, but I don't see someone confident to throw more than 10 yards downfield.

 

EJ knows he's not accurate and presses when the heat is on. And his mechanics have not improved either. If there's one thing important in any sport, it's refining mechanics down until the motion of doing something becomes muscle memory. I don't see that from EJ, who never seems to place the right touch on his throws. His feel for the game still seems entirely methodical and robotic.

 

And it's downright scary that he leaves so many WR's exposed to getting drilled. He might have only started 13 NFL games, but he still exhibits tremendous inconsistency and is a liability for the team. It may not be his entire fault, but no position determines the outcome more than your QB. And the Bills have to game plan around theirs.

 

 

The turning point game in EJ's career may have arrived today.

 

He met an opponent that upset his comfy pocket and forced him to try to make throws he hasn't been very good at and that's how you make a QB lay an egg like that.

 

We saw this kind of performance repeatedly after teams figured out JP, Trent and Fitz.

 

Now it's up to EJ to start making those big boy throws that the defense is giving him so he can free up the LOS and the pocket.

[2003Contenders]

I think this was a classic crash and burn situation. The team was so high last week: the home opener, the team sale, Jim Kelly's good news, the big win over Miami, etc. The team just looked very flat today.

 

1. The game was lost in the trenches. The OL struggled from the very beginning. EJ was never able to get comfortable. I think he has all the God-given skills and talent that you would want from a QB, but he just doesn't look natural back there. I am not sure if that will come with more experience. On days like this he needs to step up.

 

2. The LB corps was exposed a bit today. Rivers kept throwing those quick underneath throws, identifying the mismatches.

[finn]

So humor me. What is your expectation for a QB with 12 career starts? In fact, any of the posters on the anti EJ crusade please, lay out the expectations for him or ANY QB with 12 career starts.

 

This back and forth is getting old, guys. "E.J. sucks"; "Yeah, but he's had only 12 starts" in every variation, with lots of hyperbole on both sides. Can we agree that a) it's too early to judge him definitively, and b) he is awful on bad days and seldom more than adequate on good days?

 

How about an acronym to speed things along: IKIEBHRS: "I know it's early but he really sucks?"

[Jkgobills]

and you have to think, is this entirely all on EJ? Or is it a weak coaching staff, young receivers that are not in sync with the QB, and exactly why is that? I would love to see EJ sling it around like those two. He needs proper protection early on to gain the confidence to attempt those throws. He didn't have that from what I saw.

 

 

Phillip Rivers showed what it was like to play behind a bad O line in 2012, as he was under constant duress that year, and was constantly making mistakes game after game. We all saw him today behind a vastly improved O line that didn't get penalty's on every big play like Buffalo seemed to do. While they really didn't open holes for the 3rd string RB. They did give more then adequate pass protection all game long. Plus, he has a good experienced receiver corps that ran the proper routes, and caught everything that came their way. Better coaching, better players surrounding Rivers really helped him.

 

 

I agree with you that a quarteback's success, or lack thereof, depends on many things. Coaching, personnel, game plan, etc.

 

It takes a whole team to win, and a whole team to lose. However, we looked very bad on offense once we were down two scores.

 

Today we did not have a player at any position on offense that could "put the team on their shoulders" and carry us to victory. EJ is at fault, play calling at fault, and the O line did not help matters.

 

 

 

 

 

This back and forth is getting old, guys. "E.J. sucks"; "Yeah, but he's had only 12 starts" in every variation, with lots of hyperbole on both sides. Can we agree that a) it's too early to judge him definitively, and b) he is awful on bad days and seldom more than adequate on good days?

 

How about an acronym to speed things along: IKIEBHRS: "I know it's early but he really sucks?"

 

 

If only EJ looked as good as Kirk Cousins, who completed his tenth start today.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

The Bills D forced 5 punts in the 4th Q alone---and the offense responded with zero points. Oh, wait, they did score 2 points....for the Chargers!

 

Also, the O-line play wasn't great, but as for pass protection, when you re-watch the game, you will see that EJ more often than not had well over 3 seconds to get rid of the ball (or at least leave the pocke) He took some bad sacks.

 

Our first round CB picks are bad...especially Leodis, who's last season play seems a fluke. Back to the real McKelvin.

 

IMO, only two of the stops were legit. The others were the result of run three times and punt philosophy by the Chargers. The OL woes were largely responsible for the struggles in both the running game and passing game. In particular, Pears did not have a good day to say the least.

 

EJ escaped the pocket on several occasions to make something out of a negative play. He wasn't good enough overall like the rest of the offense with the notable exception of Fred Jackson.

 

Bottom line is a better team won today.

[Mr. WEO]

IMO, only two of the stops were legit. The others were the result of run three times and punt philosophy by the Chargers. The OL woes were largely responsible for the struggles in both the running game and passing game. In particular, Pears did not have a good day to say the least.

 

EJ escaped the pocket on several occasions to make something out of a negative play. He wasn't good enough overall like the rest of the offense with the notable exception of Fred Jackson.

 

Bottom line is a better team won today.

 

I agree that the Chargers were trying to end the game ASAP, but the fact remains that they still had to punt 5 times. The Bills did nothing offensively. EJ couldn't scramble (or simply didn't) in the 4th.

 

I said a week ago that this offense was doomed if they had to play from behind because they simply cannot score TDs.

[Beerball]

I think this was a classic crash and burn situation. The team was so high last week: the home opener, the team sale, Jim Kelly's good news, the big win over Miami, etc. The team just looked very flat today.

If anyone should have been flat today it was the Chargers. They played the SB champs on the road and beat them, then traveled cross country for an early game. The Bills had every reason to rise up today.

[BuffaninATL]

I don't listen to the game-day opinions of Bills "fans" who live outside of WNY/CNY. I watched the game with a lot of other Buffalo Bills fans here in Syracuse.

 

 

Really? Are you serious? So in your mind, an opinion from someone outside WNY/CNY doesn't count because why exactly ? Your geographic "elitism" would be pretty comical if it wasn't so arrogant. Hey Pearl, news flash - there are plenty of us around the country who follow this team closely and have for many years, so please lose your grip on what makes a real "fan"

[It's in My Blood]

Overall a poor performance. Loved the EJ scramble/pass to Chandler and Mario's body slam of SD's running back. Gilmore is soft. McCoy out coached us.

 

 

That said, the Bills are 2-1 and 1st place in the division. We play Fitz's Texans next week. We'll be 3-1 soon.

[HankBulloughMellencamp]

Manuel is afraid to throw the ball downfield unless the target is wide open, especially if that receiver is what I'd call a "point" target. That's to say, someone standing ready to receive the ball and not running. EJ may not throw many picks, and some may chalk this up to Hackett, but I don't see someone confident to throw more than 10 yards downfield.

 

EJ knows he's not accurate and presses when the heat is on. And his mechanics have not improved either. If there's one thing important in any sport, it's refining mechanics down until the motion of doing something becomes muscle memory. I don't see that from EJ, who never seems to place the right touch on his throws. His feel for the game still seems entirely methodical and robotic.

 

And it's downright scary that he leaves so many WR's exposed to getting drilled. He might have only started 13 NFL games, but he still exhibits tremendous inconsistency and is a liability for the team. It may not be his entire fault, but no position determines the outcome more than your QB. And the Bills have to game plan around theirs.

 

I couldn't agree more with this post.

 

EJ is a liability in so many ways; the times he throws with any degree of anticipation are very rare. Jimbo even said it from the booth ... when is #3 ever going to fire the ball in there? Everything is a lob pass, and most are floated without ever stepping into the throw. For gosh darn darn, that is the only way a weak, indecisive ball like the one that almost killed Goodwin gets thrown.

 

Those who want answers on the offensive line play or the play-calling just do not get it, and are chasing a red herring. EJ would make Anthony Munoz look substandard. He takes bad sacks, does an awful job of protecting the football, and does not seem to understand that you can't just chuck it into the stands when the pocket finally gives. When the pressure is near, he goes down like he's in an old Madden video game... as soon as a pixel from a defender touches him, he is on his way to the carpet.

 

Put it this way, once Orton finally gets a chance out there, I can guarantee that a) he will get the ball to Watkins, and b) he will play the position with some balls. That's really all this team needs.

Edited September 22, 2014 by HankBulloughMellencamp

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

1) I want to sing big time praises to Aaron Williams. Not only were his numbers good (9 tackles/5 assists), but he gave everything he had. He sacrificed his body on a tackle late in the 2nd quarter and came back. Kudos to you Mr. Williams.

 

2) If Spiller could see a hole ala Thurman, he would be an all time great. I mean this. There was a play in the 2nd quarter where he had a decent gain on a reception and he went the wrong way. With good vision, he could have been gone for a TD.

 

3) The second quarter was awful, no? EJ missed Watkins who was wide open and might have gone in for a TD. More to come on EJ.....

 

4) Dareus played his ass off today, better than anyone else on the DL. I loved his pursuit, and he never looked gassed, despite the defense being on the short end of Time of Possession once again.

 

5) Nobody on the OL played well today. That's right, nobody, including Cordy Glenn. Pears was particularly awful from what I could see (along with Wood), but having said that, EJ took WAY too much time to make decisions.

 

6) Shaking in the garden, the fear within you grows.

Here there may be roses, to punch you in the nose.

Twist their arms around you, slap you till you cry,

Wrap you in their sweet perfume and love you till you die,

When push comes to shove,

you're afraid of love.

 

7) I can't say enough good things about Fred Jackson. The 3rd quarter TD pass was a sight to behold (as were his stiff arms throughout the football game), and btw, Watkins threw a really nice block on that TD.

 

8) Hey, was I seeing things? Did Gilmore get a facemask penalty AND get injured on the same play? Seriously, he was a liability today vs. the pass and even the run. At one point I was hoping they would take him out. It is way, WAY more important for the Buffalo Bills to win football games than it is to pretend that Gilmore is good, let alone a "shutdown corner," which is laughable.

 

9) I am not going to say that Mario provided much pass pressure because he did not. But, he did very well against the run.

 

10) The bottom line is that EJ sucked today. He waited to long to throw, AND to take off and run.

 

11) Am I the only one who is sick of these plays where the Bills gain yards and come up a yard or so short of a first down? SOB, that happens WAY too often and pises me off!!!!!

 

12) EJ goes down just a bit too easy for someone his size, especially on running plays.

 

13) 11 penalties for 101 yds, is totally unacceptable.

 

14) This post is not about throwing in the towel. I don't throw in f%#(&^g towels, but this was a very poor outing and we need to get WAY better in order to compete.

 

15) GO BILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I understand the commitment to this anti-Gilmore crusade, however #21 is McKelvin not Gilmore.

 

That guy was a disaster today.

[truth on hold]

I understand the commitment to this anti-Gilmore crusade, however #21 is McKelvin not Gilmore.

 

That guy was a disaster today.

whats missing in the Gilmore-bashing from "just draft fat guys" crowd, is that we could have had the best DB in the business the year before in Patrick Peterson but took Dareus instead. Had we taken Peterson when we should have, we could have taken Poe the next year for DT. Peteron + Poe blows the doors off Gilmore + Dareus. Classic case of how not taking BPA costs a team dearly

Edited September 22, 2014 by Joe_the_6_pack

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

The people who are blaming EJ must of watched a different game than me. The offensive line opened zero holes for the running game, there was zero pass rush, and the defense gave up long ass drives. That is why we lost.

 

The right side was a total disaster. Anyone who wants to blame one guy just wasn't paying attention.

 

Add in drive killing penalties repeatedly wrong routes, play makers not making anything happen....

 

The whole team was outclassed today

[rockpile]

Overall its not as bleak as people think. Chargers probably best team in AFC, and bills with a better effort could have beaten them

 

Oh, would you please stop making sense, Joe?

[Drewgetz]

I don't listen to the game-day opinions of Bills "fans" who live outside of WNY/CNY. I watched the game with a lot of other Buffalo Bills fans here in Syracuse.

 

All I can think of is What about fans who live outside of WNY/CNY? Are they not real fans or smart enough? Just asking. ...from Binghamton.

[Fadingpain]

Really? Are you serious? So in your mind, an opinion from someone outside WNY/CNY doesn't count because why exactly ? Your geographic "elitism" would be pretty comical if it wasn't so arrogant. Hey Pearl, news flash - there are plenty of us around the country who follow this team closely and have for many years, so please lose your grip on what makes a real "fan"

 

I thought those comments were a bit odd as well. You aren't a real Bills fan if you currently live outside of WNY?

 

Ironically, the poster of these comments doesn't qualify as a local fan by his own standards in my opinion, speaking as a native Buffalonian. He's from Syracuse, apparently.

 

Hell, that's not even WNY.

[3putt]

I couldn't agree more with this post.

 

EJ is a liability in so many ways; the times he throws with any degree of anticipation are very rare. Jimbo even said it from the booth ... when is #3 ever going to fire the ball in there? Everything is a lob pass, and most are floated without ever stepping into the throw. For gosh darn darn, that is the only way a weak, indecisive ball like the one that almost killed Goodwin gets thrown.

 

Those who want answers on the offensive line play or the play-calling just do not get it, and are chasing a red herring. EJ would make Anthony Munoz look substandard. He takes bad sacks, does an awful job of protecting the football, and does not seem to understand that you can't just chuck it into the stands when the pocket finally gives. When the pressure is near, he goes down like he's in an old Madden video game... as soon as a pixel from a defender touches him, he is on his way to the carpet.

 

Put it this way, once Orton finally gets a chance out there, I can guarantee that a) he will get the ball to Watkins, and b) he will play the position with some balls. That's really all this team needs.

I was going to ask if you watched the game, but I don't think it would matter. Yes EJ missed throws, but his receivers cut off routes or were simply in the wrong place. The O line couldn't open anything and when we did manage a play Chandler brought it back. The D simply had no answer on 3rd down or gifted conversions with penalties. Orton is not going to see the light of day and shouldn't, he really is nothing more than a less mobile EJ. The team lost today...not one player, all 53 of them.

[truth on hold]

Oh, would you please stop making sense, Joe?

the fans (and perhaps the team) are getting too high after a win, and too devastated after a loss. They need to learn to get the last game out of their system within a day.