Flashback EJ manual comeback drive

[Livinginthepast]

2 hours ago, dgrochester55 said:

 

 

Buffalo put themselves in that position by never drafting at QB until they absolutely had to. Granted, 2010 to 2015 was a rough stretch for QB draft classes, with 2012 being the only decent year, but by 2012, it was clear that Fitz was average at best. We could have drafted Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins in the mid-rounds, but instead, we traded up for T.J. Graham, who was nowhere close to being an NFL-caliber WR.

By the time 2013 came around, there was no QB on the roster after we moved on from Fitz, and we pretty much had to draft a QB. It did not help that the 2013 QB class may be one of the worst ever. Your best options that year were Geno Smith, who was seen as a bust until he resurrected his career two years ago, and Matt Barkley, who we all love but was never more than a backup.

Buffalo definitely could have got a QB later, but their strategy was sound. They traded down once, and the rest of that draft was one of their better ones in the drought era. That year, Robert Woods, Kiko Alonso(Got us LeSean McCoy), Marquise Goodwin, and Dustin Hopkins were also picked. I never blamed EJ Manuel, it was just the the perfect storm of bad timing and terrible decision making in previous years.

Accurate take. It makes me shudder to think of those times and the bumbling incompetence of our management. We had bad luck on some picks, but others were exactly as predicted by the experts (mediocre) and we still took them. Others might have been improved by a great coach or system but we had neither.

[The Jokeman]

11 minutes ago, Sammy Watkins' Rib said:

EJ. At the time I was happy with the selection. But I have since learned you don't trade back and select a franchise QB. If anything move up for the QB. Trading back told us everything we needed to know about EJ's talent level and if the franchise really believed in him.

 

Part of that run of three straight FSU starting QB's to be selected in the first round of the draft. Ponder, EJ and Crab Legs. All three busts. 

I had a feeling that Gailey wanted to draft Ponder but we had a 2nd Round draft grade on him as remember when Minnesota grabbed him I was shocked he went that high. 

 

Back to EJ, man that drive felt super slow as does EJ's delivery I mean I know Josh is super quick but watching that video it all felt like it was in slow mo.

[QB Bills]

3 hours ago, holla83 said:

I was at this game too. I was gifted the tickets at about 8:00 the night before. I scrambled around to find someone to go with. I ended up taking a very attractive former classmate. It was her first NFL game. What a finish!

Nice! You should have included her in the pic too. (Sorry, that was too easy to pass up 🤪)

 

It didn't click that clappy was on the other sideline that day. Talk about foreshadowing

[Alphadawg7]

2 hours ago, C.Biscuit97 said:

EJ probably was never going to be good enough. But Marrone gave him Nate Hackett in his first nfl job, both the OV and QB coach. EJ never had a chance. 
 

Back then, we also probably would have laughed to think that the DC EJ has his best nfl start against would one day be one of the best coaches in Bills history. 

Welcome to the nfl now. 

 

I dont know what EJ could have become somewhere else...but I know for sure he had no shot to become anything here or reach whatever his actual potential was with the train wreck coaching and handling he experienced here. Him getting drafted here was the worst thing for him.

 

I think his peak ceiling was probably something like what Bridgewaters career has been...which while still not good (low end to bad starter, solid backup) would have at least been substantially better than what his career was and made him and his family more money.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

3 hours ago, Bills!Win! said:

I had to stop watching after 3 minutes. Every pass is 5 yards or less 

that’s actually smart by Manuel. 1:45 left. Plenty of time. Those dump downs were easy yards. And the defense gives those to you.

 

to defend Carolina here, the defensive scheme worked. Just got called for a pretty ticky tack PI call. Without that, the game is over.

[Steve Billieve]

It really used to take a miracle for us to win in those situations.

[Another Fan]

43 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

that’s actually smart by Manuel. 1:45 left. Plenty of time. Those dump downs were easy yards. And the defense gives those to you.

 

to defend Carolina here, the defensive scheme worked. Just got called for a pretty ticky tack PI call. Without that, the game is over.

In real time I still remember thinking that call was BS but relieved and happy at the same moment 

[Yobogoya!]

1 hour ago, Saxum said:

 

Remember regarding Ryan Fitzpatrick there was the whole prank call set up so it was not as simple as you state.

No actually it was that simple… and the prank call is exactly why we know it was. We heard it right from Buddy’s lips! 
 

They didn’t want to pay Fitz his contact is he was fighting for a backup job, and he didn’t want to take a pay cut. The call was embarrassing obviously, but it’s not like Fitz would have insisted on being released if the Bills had been willing him to pay him. They would have worked it out, especially since Nix stepped down after the draft anyway. 

[Captain Hindsight]

He was playing pretty well and then got his knee blown up in cleveland and never seemed to gain back his confidence, Having Marrone and Rex as coaches didnt help. I remember he was signed by Andy Reid and then retired before minicamp to go into broadcasting

[BuffaloBillsGospel2014]

Not going to lie, after this game I think I said to everyone “finally we have our QB”. I must  have forgot other games had to be played after this.

 

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

1 hour ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

that’s actually smart by Manuel. 1:45 left. Plenty of time. Those dump downs were easy yards. And the defense gives those to you.

 

to defend Carolina here, the defensive scheme worked. Just got called for a pretty ticky tack PI call. Without that, the game is over.

 

I don't know about ticky tack - ball in air and keuchly tripped him as he broke over the middle.  Big missed tackle let jackson get out of bounds too.  Not his best drive.  

 

Big play there was jacksons "drop" i think he felt contact and put the ball on the turf.  Same with Spillers which was not remotely intentional and almost resulted in a pick.  Either of those are catches and the drives probably dead. 

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

43 minutes ago, Another Fan said:

In real time I still remember thinking that call was BS but relieved and happy at the same moment 

same. We totally lucked out. I think there was some griping after the game by the panthers too.

[Jauronimo]

Freddy was a pleasure to watch even at the end of his career.  He could no longer run away from LBs but there he is dumping hall of fame candidate Luke Kuechly like hes nothing and gaining another 5 yards when he should have had nothing.  Hes so smooth it looks like slow motion.

[msw2112]

Since moving away from Buffalo 30+ years ago, I only make it back for a game once every couple of years (and mix in a few road games too).  I was at the opener this year....

 

This Carolina comeback game happens to be one of the ones I was at.  I remember the last-second victory, but I had forgotten how lucky EJ and the Bills were to be bailed out by a ticky tack pass interference penalty.  That looks like the call that Mahomes gets weekly (and Brady used to get).

 

One of the other games I made it to during the drought era was one where JP Losman led a comeback for a last-second victory over Jacksonville (in 2006).

 

 

 

Edited September 20 by msw2112

[Jimmy Harris 69]

Terrific moment for that team. How nice it must be to have a kicker who will line up and put it through without everybody calling their analyst for an appointment because the moment fills them with dread and remembrances of games lost.   

[RoyBatty is alive]

6 hours ago, Bill from NYC said:

EJ was a terrible QB for us, but he is very good and informative on the Sirius College Sports Channel, and sounds like a smart, nice guy.

EJ was a very smart man, I think he had a very non-football type degree like aerospace engineering or something like that.  He also sold stock in his future earnings via Fantex known as Fantex/Manuel and raised over $5 million.  The guy was no dumbie, far from it. 

[DeltaDigital]

was at that game, this ones even better. they played like such garbage we left in the 3rd... 

 

[Simon]

4 hours ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

I dont know what EJ could have become somewhere else...but I know for sure he had no shot to become anything here or reach whatever his actual potential was with the train wreck coaching and handling he experienced here. Him getting drafted here was the worst thing for him.

 

I think his peak ceiling was probably something like what Bridgewaters career has been...which while still not good (low end to bad starter, solid backup) would have at least been substantially better than what his career was and made him and his family more money.

 

He had opportunities elsewhere but was never going to be an NFL QB, imo.

Too stiff(I swear I could hear him counting his drop steps out loud to himself from my couch), did not see the field well and had no feel for the game.

Nice kid and I'm glad he made enough money to set him up for life, but just wasn't a good enough natural ballplayer to stick at this level.

[Alphadawg7]

55 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

He had opportunities elsewhere but was never going to be an NFL QB, imo.

Too stiff(I swear I could hear him counting his drop steps out loud to himself from my couch), did not see the field well and had no feel for the game.

Nice kid and I'm glad he made enough money to set him up for life, but just wasn't a good enough natural ballplayer to stick at this level.

 

Yeah, not sure he makes it elsewhere either...but just saying he was for sure not going to here.  We provided the worst case scenario for him, not sure I have ever seen a drafted QB as mishandled and managed as he was here.  

[Capco]

7 hours ago, boyst said:

i was bored that day and went to the carolina panthers chat board and chat room. just engaging them and mocking how bad both teams can be. and i remember calling out that the bills would give up a boneheaded play and the panthers would score to think they'll win it but something stupid will happen and buffalo will back their way into a stupid win. i was making them all so mad only to be right.

 

panthers fans were so arrogant when they had cam newton. it is similar to bills fans who think josh is infallible.  

You seem like foruming comes before football 😂