Chargers All-22

[Hapless Bills Fan]

http://sports.yahoo....-155456544.html

This writer (and his name isn't Rodak, Graham, or Sullivan) disagrees.

Manuel was plain dreadful throwing the simplest routes a QB is asked to throw in the NFL.

 

Because a Yahoo fantasy football fan writer is a great source

[Cash]

For that 2011 season I saw things much differently. While at times opposing defenses did jam the line and take away that short / quick passing game. They didn't manage to do it all the time because Stevie found a way to to get open, and Fitz found a way to get him the ball. Not even Revis Island could cover Stevie all the time.

 

Alas, in all their frugality the Bills cut backup center Geoff Hangartener in preseason. So, when the bills played the NY Jets in week 9 and Eric Wood went out for the year, the Bills had no answer for a replacement center. The next few games were a comedy of errors trying to find someone who could do that job, and ultimately the Bills went on a 7 game losing slide. Remember that Dolphin game, as the Bills couldn't even get a decent snap from center all game. How embarrassing!!

 

One sign that this Bills regime may actually be "different" than past ones is that we had a few opportunities for a similar cut this year, and took none of them. Manny Lawson was kept as a backup. Kraig Urbik was kept as a backup. Erik Pears lost his RT job, and was kept at another job. Which, granted, he doesn't seem very good at, but I'd rather have him available at RG or RT than a street free agent. Plus, and it's hard to quantify this, but it makes sense that Henderson would benefit from playing next to a veteran who's experienced at RT - a good resource to lean on.

 

None of the above players are great, although I still think Lawson is a pretty good SLB miscast as a DE. But they're a significant step up above the replacements that would be signed if they were cut.

[Mango]

 

 

He needs to take advantage of his height and watch Rivers or Brady to learn the ole side step shuffle in the pocket

 

Another thought after watching all 22...Hackett kept trying to run the clear out drag crossing play for Sammy where everyone else runs go routes to clear out for Sammy. Since they had Sammy bottled up on most of those plays EJ's secondary reads are all go routes.. and by the time you see Sammy's not open it's too late to even attempt throwing the go routes( especially when your o line is sucking)

 

This deserves a bump. Most posts won the million go routes with little or no other option always get ignored, especially when you point them out on the all-22. People would rather just spout what they think rather than discuss what is happening.

 

These calls were all over the all 22 last year. Seems like they improved this year until the SD game. You can't rely on the lowest percentage offensive play in football to be your bread and butter for going over the top. It's these plays that get me to pull my hair out with Hackett, it is also what gets out young QB in trouble. This year so far, at least from what I've seen has been better in terms of getting multiple routes from the route tree at different depths and directions in the same play. In SD Hackett called a scared game and reverted back to last year at points. In order to run a successful offense you need to have diversity every play. Not to mention when your OL isn't holding up, you can't call incessant long developing routes from every receiver. Yes you need to air it out to keep the defense out, but there are other ways. Slants, real screens (not ours) posts, and mid level crossing patterns.

 

That said, there are points when EJ needs to see the open guy. It's not a pass, just a young QB learning, frustrating yes, good no, but these mistakes will happen. Hopefully he is learning.

[NoSaint]

 

 

This deserves a bump. Most posts won the million go routes with little or no other option always get ignored, especially when you point them out on the all-22. People would rather just spout what they think rather than discuss what is happening.

 

These calls were all over the all 22 last year. Seems like they improved this year until the SD game. You can't rely on the lowest percentage offensive play in football to be your bread and butter for going over the top. It's these plays that get me to pull my hair out with Hackett, it is also what gets out young QB in trouble. This year so far, at least from what I've seen has been better in terms of getting multiple routes from the route tree at different depths and directions in the same play. In SD Hackett called a scared game and reverted back to last year at points. In order to run a successful offense you need to have diversity every play. Not to mention when your OL isn't holding up, you can't call incessant long developing routes from every receiver. Yes you need to air it out to keep the defense out, but there are other ways. Slants, real screens (not ours) posts, and mid level crossing patterns.

 

That said, there are points when EJ needs to see the open guy. It's not a pass, just a young QB learning, frustrating yes, good no, but these mistakes will happen. Hopefully he is learning.

 

This year is all Nate/ej --- both have been up and down. Hopefully they get on the same page for success or it'll be a long year. 1 goes south and it will likely tank both.

[Mango]

 

 

This year is all Nate/ej --- both have been up and down. Hopefully they get on the same page for success or it'll be a long year. 1 goes south and it will likely tank both.

 

This is rarely brought up so far this season. I really want to see 4 or 5 WR spread out wide at points. Even if you put 8 in the box is spreads the D personnel. Look at Fitz, at quick passing game with the field spread can work and take some of

of the pressure of the line. Max protect doesn't always lead to maximum protection of the QB.

 

And for Christs sake, can we run some plays pass or rushing with the kid taking the snap from under center. Get ready for me to blow your mind Hackett, but you can actually do both of these things on the same play. Getting CJ in space doesn't have to be about play design post snap, we can do it pre snap. Either Hackett doesn't like these sorts of plays, or Marrone won't allow them. Either way it falls on the HC to manage that sort of situation properly. At the end of the day Marrone is the general.

[BillsVet]

For that 2011 season I saw things much differently. While at times opposing defenses did jam the line and take away that short / quick passing game. They didn't manage to do it all the time because Stevie found a way to to get open, and Fitz found a way to get him the ball. Not even Revis Island could cover Stevie all the time.

 

Alas, in all their frugality the Bills cut backup center Geoff Hangartener in preseason. So, when the bills played the NY Jets in week 9 and Eric Wood went out for the year, the Bills had no answer for a replacement center. The next few games were a comedy of errors trying to find someone who could do that job, and ultimately the Bills went on a 7 game losing slide. Remember that Dolphin game, as the Bills couldn't even get a decent snap from center all game. How embarrassing!!

 

Fitz and Stevie both suffered nasty injuries that year, and Fitz had broken ribs from the Redskin game. Gailey being the moron he was, kept playing Fitz because he had no adequate backup QB. I think what sunk Fitz the next season was the new QB coach messing with his mechanics for 2012.

 

Anyway, Gailey used to find a way to run the ball even when they stacked the box, as he would use that 4 WR spread offense, and Fitz would hand off out of the shotgun. The problem was Gailey couldn't stop calling pass plays, as soon as the bills were down by three points.

 

 

Hackett's problem is he keeps trying to max protect with some scrubs on that line, and it ain't never gonna work consistently, as Chandler and those OG's are nearly worthless at times. I think he is sometimes being over careful. you would think he would take some pages from Gailey's playbook, and spread things out with 3-4 WR's. Spiller or Fredex out on the perimeter along with Sammy would scare the hell out of defenses. Just make sure EJ gets the ball out in under 3 seconds.

 

The Chargers were so successful because they recognized the weakness in the Bills O line at the OG positions, and kept stunting. They only rushed with 4, but because of the confusion all that stunting caused they managed to get pressure in EJ's face so he couldn't step up in the pocket. After all the quickest way to the QB is right up the middle. Once a QB gets rattled in a game its difficult for him to regain confidence. Whats most concerning to me is the QB-receiver timing being so out of sync at times, its like they don't practice very much.

 

I yearn for a quality experienced NFL offensive coordinator.

 

The season is a grind, but if you have a combination of a) not having the players and b) poor schemes you're going to be exposed sooner or later. Fitz had a huge hole in his game (the lack of a sufficient arm). EJ's is being wildly inaccurate (so far). Trent Edwards was accurate, but wouldn't throw deep either. Losman was similar to EJ, but could at least drop in a long pass now and then to a receiver in motion.

 

Sooner or later it depends on how you adapt to what opposing DC's are doing. The mark of a good front office-coaching staff is to find the players to do that and then put them into positions. I'm very interested to see what Marrone/Little Nate/and the Schwartz come up with after getting rolled last week. Winning in week 1 and 2 is a lot easier than weeks 11 or 12.

 

But I will agree, the Bills retained some players that previous years would have seen them let go to ensure the Wilson family banked a little more.

[Prickly Pete]

For EJM, it's all about adding to the repertoire of plays that he can execute cleanly. It takes time. He has to execute these plays during a game, against different coverages, different skilled defensive players, different Dline rushes...on and on. He has to learn "on the job", and we have to watch him struggle with it.

 

Hackett also has to pick the right plays, at the right time, to allow EJM to learn on the job, but not hurt the team as he is getting the experience. Send in a play that EJM hasn't mastered, and it's a gamble that can blow a drive. Send in the plays that he has shown the ability to run cleanly, and it's already on tape, and the defense has prepared to shut it down.