#2 QB next year

[YoloinOhio]

I think what Whaley said is pretty spot on with EJ. He's probably in the top third of backups in the league (most are awful, mind you) but he wasn't good enough last year when he needed to step in and needs to be better to maintain that role on the team. Rather strong words IMO from the GM who at one time publically felt he could be the starter and was in process of building the team around him, so I appreciated the candor.

 

He should be brought into camp as one of the backups (not locked into the #2) along with competition. There are some "pros" to him being the #2 such as knowing the offense, having worked with the receiving corp and OL, and having a strong work ethic and positive attitude. Still, he's not yet where they want him even as the primary backup.

Edited January 8, 2016 by YoloinOhio

[prissythecat]

 

 

Worst football ever played by a Bills QB?

 

There were certainly a few minutes in that game where EJ was pathetically awful. But you either must be young to assert 'worst ever' or have a very short memory.

 

Did you never watch Kay Stephenson line up under center in a Bills uni? Or Gary Marangi? OR Bruce Mathison? Or Joe Dufek? Or Dan Manucci? Or Bryan McClure? Or Willie Totten? Or even the great Brian Brohm?

 

Our franchise has been blessed with truly horrible quarterbacks.

 

To be fair, Brian Brohm only started two games . So he is still a rookie and still don't have enough to judge him by

[buffaloboyinATL]

I think I'm the only one who's perfectly ok with EJ as our backup. It's slim pickings for a better backup, EJ has experience, is still developing, a good team player, and will be in year two of Roman's complicated system. If we replace EJ, I'd hope we replace him with someone else who has had experience with the system.

that would be Colin Kapernick? I agree with you that EJ is a decent backup for the time being. We have more pressing needs elsewhere.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

The Bills need the best backup quarterback they can find. TT will get hurt next year, and he will miss games.

 

And who would this be?

I think what Whaley said is pretty spot on with EJ. He's probably in the top third of backups in the league (most are awful, mind you) but he wasn't good enough last year when he needed to step in and needs to be better to maintain that role on the team. Rather strong words IMO from the GM who at one time publically felt he could be the starter and was in process of building the team around him, so I appreciated the candor.

 

He should be brought into camp as one of the backups (not locked into the #2) along with competition. There are some "pros" to him being the #2 such as knowing the offense, having worked with the receiving corp and OL, and having a strong work ethic and positive attitude. Still, he's not yet where they want him even as the primary backup.

 

Yep, This. Feel that the Bills should draft a QB, and not adverse to looking around the league for any servicable 2nd tier free agents. But I don't see a trade market for EJ right now, and that said, with the Bills cap situation, it makes no sense to cut a guy whose salary is guaranteed. Unless there is a strong degree of confidence that it's "addition by subtraction", why kick EJ to the curb for an unproven 2nd tier FA or a rookie who may be no better, while continuing to pay EJ?

 

There are too many other needs on the team and too little cap room to double-dip on backup QB.

 

That said, EJ needs to understand (and by Doug's words, does) that his leash is very short and he is close to out of the league.

[Buffalo Beeeews]

I was done with EJ following the Jacksonville debacle. I gave him a pass for the Cincy clunker the week prior, but that game in London was perhaps the worst performance by a professional quarterback, starter or otherwise, I have personally ever seen.

 

EJ's a great human being and teammate, but 2016 isn't about that, and Rex and Whaley have now been made to know that. There has got to be a more viable option out there. Heck, I'd probably even be okay with our drafted QB to be the number two at this juncture...

[Rico]

I was done with EJ following the Jacksonville debacle. I gave him a pass for the Cincy clunker the week prior, but that game in London was perhaps the worst performance by a professional quarterback, starter or otherwise, I have personally ever seen.

 

EJ's a great human being and teammate, but 2016 isn't about that, and Rex and Whaley have now been made to know that. There has got to be a more viable option out there. Heck, I'd probably even be okay with our drafted QB to be the number two at this juncture...

Yep, Time for Whaley to get serious about acknowledging past mistakes and moving on. ABEJ.

[eball]

I was done with EJ following the Jacksonville debacle. I gave him a pass for the Cincy clunker the week prior, but that game in London was perhaps the worst performance by a professional quarterback, starter or otherwise, I have personally ever seen.

 

EJ's a great human being and teammate, but 2016 isn't about that, and Rex and Whaley have now been made to know that. There has got to be a more viable option out there. Heck, I'd probably even be okay with our drafted QB to be the number two at this juncture...

 

Except that after those admittedly gawd-awful five minutes of the 2nd quarter EJ led the Bills completely back. People around here spend far too much time speaking in extremes, rather than taking a measured approach to what they observe.

 

EJ is just fine as a backup QB, and should continue to develop in that capacity nicely. There is no reason to want to push him off the roster.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

I was done with EJ following the Jacksonville debacle. I gave him a pass for the Cincy clunker the week prior, but that game in London was perhaps the worst performance by a professional quarterback, starter or otherwise, I have personally ever seen.

 

Not meaning to pry, but how long have you been watching football?

 

'Cuz yeah, EJ was bad for 5 minutes there, stinkin' bad, but it wasn't the worst QB performance I've seen, not hardly - and he did come back and play better in the 2nd half.

[FLFan]

I was done with EJ following the Jacksonville debacle. I gave him a pass for the Cincy clunker the week prior, but that game in London was perhaps the worst performance by a professional quarterback, starter or otherwise, I have personally ever seen.

Apparently you did not see the Bills first super bowl game vs. Dallas. I won't bother to go back farther than that, but in my 50 years or so of watching the Bills, I have seen far worse, many times. That's not to say it was good mind you, but far from the worst.

[reddogblitz]

I gave him a pass for the Cincy clunker the week prior

 

How was that game a "clunker"?

 

EJ was 28 for 42 for 263 yards 1 TD 1 Int 100% Red Zone efficiency 6 carries for 22 yards and a TD.

 

We scored 21 points but the D laid and egg and gave up 34. EJ does not play defense.

 

And let's not forget this stallion QB play: http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/2015101804/2015/REG6/bengals@bills?icampaign=GC_schedule_rr#menu=gameinfo|contentId%3A0ap3000000559567&tab=videos

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Apparently you did not see the Bills first super bowl game vs. Dallas. I won't bother to go back farther than that, but in my 50 years or so of watching the Bills, I have seen far worse, many times. That's not to say it was good mind you, but far from the worst.

 

Oh, yeah, That. We love Jim Kelly, but when you have a lot of good play, it's apparently much easier to forget a 9 INT post-season.

 

I think that sequence struck people especially hard because of the fact that 2 of the turnovers were immediate TDs. So it was just bam-bam-bam without any dilution.

 

Billy Joe Hobart - how that guy got a job with N'Orleans I don't know

Trent Edwards vs GB 2010

Brian Brohm vs Jets 2011 (same season)

Outside the Bills:

Blaine Gabbert's first season

Jamarcus Russell

 

Nah, it's not hard to find worse.

 

Not saying it was good, but I give him props for sucking it up and playing hard the 2nd half, playing much better and scoring 11 points, enough with the pick-6 to put us ahead.

[Kirby Jackson]

 

Except that after those admittedly gawd-awful five minutes of the 2nd quarter EJ led the Bills completely back. People around here spend far too much time speaking in extremes, rather than taking a measured approach to what they observe.

 

EJ is just fine as a backup QB, and should continue to develop in that capacity nicely. There is no reason to want to push him off the roster.

I was thinking of a way to adequately compare that performance and I think that it just dawned on me. It is like a starting pitcher that gives up 8 runs in the top of the 1st and then settles down. He goes 7 innings and leaves with his team leading 9-8 but the bullpen blows it and they lose 10-9. Technically, he kept them in the game but they wouldn't have been down 8 runs had he not been so brutal for a small portion of the game.

[C.Biscuit97]

I was thinking of a way to adequately compare that performance and I think that it just dawned on me. It is like a starting pitcher that gives up 8 runs in the top of the 1st and then settles down. He goes 7 innings and leaves with his team leading 9-8 but the bullpen blows it and they lose 10-9. Technically, he kept them in the game but they wouldn't have been down 8 runs had he not been so brutal for a small portion of the game.

Pretty fair analogy but how many runs is the McCoy fumble in the red zone worth? How about drop passes? How about his starting receivers being Hogan (and we know you feelings about him) and Woods (who some posters say isn't a #2 wr)?

 

Yet, it was the highest passing yardage game for a Bill and we should have won the game. No one disputes how terrible that 5 minute stretch was but I thought we played 60 minute games? Everyone overlooks how terrible the offense was in the TItans game for 90% of it and say Taylor willed us to victory. There's some double standards there.

 

Taylor is the starter and Manuel should be the backup. Draft a rookie. Watch Matt Cassel (who a lot of folks wanted on this team) and then decide if EJ can't be a serviceable backup qb.

 

Oh, yeah, That. We love Jim Kelly, but when you have a lot of good play, it's apparently much easier to forget a 9 INT post-season.

 

I think that sequence struck people especially hard because of the fact that 2 of the turnovers were immediate TDs. So it was just bam-bam-bam without any dilution.

 

Billy Joe Hobart - how that guy got a job with N'Orleans I don't know

Trent Edwards vs GB 2010

Brian Brohm vs Jets 2011 (same season)

Outside the Bills:

Blaine Gabbert's first season

Jamarcus Russell

 

Nah, it's not hard to find worse.

 

Not saying it was good, but I give him props for sucking it up and playing hard the 2nd half, playing much better and scoring 11 points, enough with the pick-6 to put us ahead.

Kelly is the greatest bills qb ever and a HOFer. But he was a subpar playoff qb.

[Formerly Allan in MD]

I think I'm the only one who's perfectly ok with EJ as our backup. It's slim pickings for a better backup, EJ has experience, is still developing, a good team player, and will be in year two of Roman's complicated system. If we replace EJ, I'd hope we replace him with someone else who has had experience with the system.

You may well be the only one. EJ's experience was basically bad and he has little skill, such as throwing accurately and having a sense for the game, that can be developed. You don't learn those things.

[Kirby Jackson]

Pretty fair analogy but how many runs is the McCoy fumble in the red zone worth? How about drop passes? How about his starting receivers being Hogan (and we know you feelings about him) and Woods (who some posters say isn't a #2 wr)?

 

Yet, it was the highest passing yardage game for a Bill and we should have won the game. No one disputes how terrible that 5 minute stretch was but I thought we played 60 minute games? Everyone overlooks how terrible the offense was in the TItans game for 90% of it and say Taylor willed us to victory. There's some double standards there.

 

Taylor is the starter and Manuel should be the backup. Draft a rookie. Watch Matt Cassel (who a lot of folks wanted on this team) and then decide if EJ can't be a serviceable backup qb.

I guess the point is if the starting pitcher gives up 8 runs, there could be errors, bloopers, past balls, etc... that aren't necessarily his fault. 8 runs is still 8 runs.

 

In terms of the passing yardage of course you pass a lot when you are down early. That kind of goes without saying.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Kirby Jackson

[Steve Billieve]

You know....it is interesting that you say that

 

EJ Manuel has NOT been a interception prone qb prior to that jacksonville game

 

The more I think about it the more I think the work has to be looked at as a whole

 

I am NOT saying EJ is a good QB.....only that I think the label of interception prone is probably not fair either

 

I think that as soon as he starting "letting it rip" he started "turning it over"

 

Its not that he turns the ball over a lot, its that you just can't trust him. He can truly blow a game up. I think he's a lot better than a lot of people give him credit for. He can look good a lot, but when he is bad he is really really bad. I mean how can you have 3 consecutive unforced turn overs?

 

IMO that's why Marrone benched him, that ludicrous looking pick to JJ Watt.

 

Seems like a head case.

[BarleyNY]

As far as EJ is considered, is there anyone here that thinks he sticks with the Bills beyond next season? I don't see any realistic way that he is. What would his route to that end be?

Little to no playing time. Nope.

Significant playing time where he looked like he did last season? Nope.

Significant playing time where he looks good? Assuming Taylor looks good too, then no. Taylor is the man here and Manuel would be in demand and go elsewhere where he could compete for a starting job. If Taylor implodes and EJ lights it up, then he stays and Taylor goes. But who is betting on that to happen? Not me, that's for sure. Even the low odds of a draft pick are better than that.

 

The Bills do have EJ's $1.4M guaranteed salary to contend with. It has offsets in the event he catches on elsewhere, so that's good. I'd add a vet and a rookie, but I'd keep him around until I either got something in trade or until cut downs to protect the team against injuries, suspensions, etc.

[reddogblitz]

 

Its not that he turns the ball over a lot, its that you just can't trust him. He can truly blow a game up.

 

So can Tyrod. See both Patsies** games, the Eagles game, and the Cheaps game. Should we dump him too?

[FireChan]

 

So can Tyrod. See both Patsies** games, the Eagles game, and the Cheaps game. Should we dump him too?

He blew those games up? What?

[reddogblitz]

He blew those games up? What?

 

When it's your last chance and the QB needs to lead the team to a score to win or tie and he instead throws a pick (twice) or fumbles twice on the same play resulting in not getting a first in fourth or decides to come back out and play when he can't even throw, then yeah, he did.