QB Situation

[damaynman150]

this is similar to a post a bit down on this page but say a QB (preferably Losman) does in fact step up and play, not just "okay" but *gasp* above average, (as in more than 200 yards/game for once and maybe more TDs than INTs) do the bills have all the tools in other positions to make a surprise [playoff] push?

 

...or are we still scouting Brady Quinn like madmen?

[Albany,n.y.]

Here's something I posted on Ourlads board a few days ago in response to someone dissing the Bills:

 

The Bills season all depends on the QB play. If they get decent or better QB play, they'll be one of the league's biggest surprise teams. The secondary has the opportunity to be one of the league's best for the next few years. If Triplett & the reformed D line come through as expected, the D will be solid. Add a return to form by Spikes, and the D can be downright dominant. The Bills are loaded at receiver depth, although they don't know the order after Evans, there's enough talent that will shake out in camp to have a solid receiver corps. Willis McGahee is in much better shape than last year, and won't quit on the season due to incompetent coaching that caused him to go into a funk the 2nd half of last season. While the O line has been maligned, the center & LG have been upgraded and holdover 2nd year player Duke Preston has potential to replace any of the 3 interior linemen should any one of them falter. TE's have been upgraded since last year, when the position may have been at its weakest since 1984.

 

So, it all comes down to the QB. If Losman can improve, as many QBs do improve dramatically in their 2nd year as a starter, or if Craig Nall is set to become the next Jake Delhomme this team will be a helluva lot better than most anticipate. On the other hand, if Losman plays like last year, Nall proves to be nothing and Holcomb plays like Holcomb, 6 wins will be the maximum.

 

One reason I have some optimism is because this team was poorly coached last season. I can state without any equivocation that Mike Mularkey had no business being a head coach and over his head is an understatement. Just getting adequate coaching would improve the team dramatically.

[RayFinkle]

this is similar to a post a bit down on this page but say a QB (preferably Losman) does in fact step up and play, not just "okay" but *gasp* above average, (as in more than 200 yards/game for once and maybe more TDs than INTs) do the bills have all the tools in other positions to make a surprise [playoff] push?

714075[/snapback]

 

If you want a sugar coated answer - NO.

[Mark Long Beach]

The key part of that question is "...tools in other positions..." and I believe the answer is yes it's possible.

 

More likely, it's next year... It's quite difficult for a coach to make all the adjustements necessary in one year to adapt to a new scheme. There's only so many new people you can bring in at once. Some people you think can handle the new scheme, can't. There are some suprises in the other way too.

 

In just pure talant:

Very nice secondary

Very good Linebackers

mediocre-bad d-line

 

great special teams.

 

poor QB (we're all hoping for maturation improvements here)

decent/good RB (what version of WM will show up each day?)

decent/good Receivers.

mediocre o-line.

 

We certainly have enough talant if it comes together well (and good QBing of course).

[Phlegm Alley]

I think that there are more question marks and they lie in the middle of the defense. Can our porous d-line stop the run? Can our aging LB core carryout the Cover 2 strategy?

 

I agree that if our QB clicks, we do have the tools to become a pretty potent offense and most importantly, I think the change in coaching staff and front office will pay dividends.

 

I don't think that playoffs are out of the question.

[Buftex]

The Bills are not talentless, but their success depends on too many "if this happens, and that happens" scenarios. It is hard for me to fathom them being much more successful than last year. To finish with six wins would actualy be an achievement, I think.

 

That does not mean to say that I don't have faith in Jauron. I really like him, and always have. I am just not sure that the Bills have all the pieces to overhaul a team, and win more than they lose, right away. It is very possible (and likely I think) that they start slow, and finish strong, if they are indeed, on the right track.

 

I am thinking that there are lots more changes to come for this team, before they are in contention for anything more than 3rd place in the AFC East. The "stars" we have on defense are getting older, while the rest are kids.

[BillnutinHouston]

I can state without any equivocation that Mike Mularkey had no business being a head coach and over his head is an understatement.

714084[/snapback]

 

 

But Marv (the old wise head) wanted to keep him. How do you square that with your statement?

[Pyrite Gal]

The Bills season all depends on the QB play.

714084[/snapback]

 

I disagree in that while QB concerns is always a big factor in how the team does, it really strikes me as at worst a tertiary concern of ours. There are other issues pivotal to the results this team produces (good QB play is certainly necessary but is far from sufficient in and of itself to gurantee good performance) which are bigger questions for our team.

 

The three parts of the game (again all are necessary and none are sufficient alone in order to win a bunch): They are not co-equal but all must click and at least no be a vulnerability in order to go deep in the playoffs:

 

1. D- The lead need is to stop the run- Both pass D and run D are again necessary but not sufficient, and this is the biggest ? on this team. Is Jauron with Farell's leadership enough to turn our switch to a Cover 2 into a D which keeps games close so we can be competitve. If not, it makes little difference how good the O is because we will always be playing catch-up and the opposing Ds will tee off on our O with the blitz.

 

The big issues I see are:

 

A: the DBs look very good with recent past team leader in turnovers produced Vincent schooling on the field immediate starter Whitmer, needs a year to let his mental game catch up with his physical talent Yobouty (who can replace or put us in strong negotiating position with tagged NC) and his eventual replacement Simpaon (this year if Simpson is good and next year if he is a normal second day draft pick).

 

B. The LBs also look very good if TKO comes back and even has some depth with past starter Posey joining Fletch, Crowell, and a weakened TKO. The LBs will be key as they will have to be primary run stoppers with our penetrating DL and Fletch using his many years of skills to make the Tampa 2 version of the Cover 2 work well.

 

C. The big question though is how our DL performs as the top 4 DTs on the depth chart max out at 304 lbs. They probably can penetrate and disrupt the pass, but the LBs will need to back them up big time to stop the run when they guerss wrong on the point of attack and the get taken out of the play.

 

Overall, if we can stop the run, I see us putting the opposing O into 3rd and longs where our Cover 2 eats them alive. This is a big question though and the braintrust will need to do some good playcalling.

 

2. ST- This unit will need to perform at the level they have the last two years where this Bobby April led unit was judged first in the NFL in statistical performance. Given Marv's emphasis of ST and a good draft which produced some depth behind immediate likely starters Whitmer and probably McCargo, I am not worried about this key unit.

 

3. O- I think that the QB performance is actually not as big of an O worry as:

 

A. Will the OL have the depth to perform this season. This year's likely starters (Gandy, Reyes, Fowler, Villarial, Peters) are better than last years starters (Gandy, Anderson, Teague, Villarial, MW), but the back-ups are pretty thread bare as Prestin seems to be the only likely starter quality player among this group.

 

B. Can we produce an effective O scheme which apparently will be an attempt to imitate the high-flying St. L style Fairchild comes from.- Its possible as Evans, Price, Parrish all offer tremendous speed, In addition, the potential RAC ability of former RB Reed evens poses the chance he may return to his rookie form. However, they key IMHO will be if WM can do a imitation of a shadow of Marshall Faulk pass catching ability to match his good overall season (with a production drop-off the second half) rushing performance with recieving chops.

 

Overall, while I think at QB, neither JP, Holcomb, or Nall is likely individually to be adeqiate at QB, it is more likely than not that ONE of these players (whomever it is I do not care much) will be adequate to run an effective O.

 

The QB competition will be interesting as JP and KH offer different likely styles within which they can suceed (IMHO it will be best if JP steps up his game in that he throws a better long pass than KH. If he gets control of himself and the game he can pick apart opponents with good variations of throwing deep and dumping off. KH can make this work as though he is not much of a deep threat, he can be productive potentiallyIF the receivers can do good RAC and his dump offs turn into long gains. Nall is simply a wildcard, but it is likely 1 od these three will be adequate IF the OL and WRs work and if either of these two units do not work then the QB will also fail).

 

The bottomline is that I am less worried about us finding an adequate QB among these three than the other two offensive keys working out OR even if they do work out I see a bigger ? in whether we can effectively stop the run.

[stuckincincy]

But Marv (the old wise head) wanted to keep him.  How do you square that with your statement?

714125[/snapback]

 

As Marv was purging coaches, MM was faced with a lame-duck situation. He read the handwriting on the wall, and quit. Which saved the Bills some money.

[Realist]

As Marv was purging coaches, MM was faced with a lame-duck situation. He read the handwriting on the wall, and quit. Which saved the Bills some money.

714136[/snapback]

I'd have to agree with this. Marv and company pretty much forced Mularkey out. They can say they were surprised he quit all they want, but I'm sure the front office was breathing a sigh of relief when he quit. With the bonus of not having to pay MM for the remainder of his contract if he was fired.

[apuszczalowski]

I'd have to agree with this.  Marv and company pretty much forced Mularkey out.  They can say they were surprised he quit all they want, but I'm sure the front office was breathing a sigh of relief when he quit.  With the bonus of not having to pay MM for the remainder of his contract if he was fired.

714224[/snapback]

Maybe it was Ralph and Marv that did the stuff to MM to force him out.

 

Can't you picture the 2 of them pulling up infront of MM's house in Ralphs Taurus dressed all in black with masks on putting up signs and then pretending to be sustitute teachers for MM's kids classes trying to drive him out of town .

[TDRupp]

Here's something I posted on Ourlads board a few days ago in response to someone dissing the Bills:

 

The Bills season all depends on the QB play. If they get decent or better QB play, they'll be one of the league's biggest surprise teams. The secondary has the opportunity to be one of the league's best for the next few years. If Triplett & the reformed D line come through as expected, the D will be solid. Add a return to form by Spikes, and the D can be downright dominant. The Bills are loaded at receiver depth, although they don't know the order after Evans, there's enough talent that will shake out in camp to have a solid receiver corps. Willis McGahee is in much better shape than last year, and won't quit on the season due to incompetent coaching that caused him to go into a funk the 2nd half of last season. While the O line has been maligned, the center & LG have been upgraded and holdover 2nd year player Duke Preston has potential to replace any of the 3 interior linemen should any one of them falter. TE's have been upgraded since last year, when the position may have been at its weakest since 1984.

 

So, it all comes down to the QB. If Losman can improve, as many QBs do improve dramatically in their 2nd year as a starter, or if Craig Nall is set to become the next Jake Delhomme this team will be a helluva lot better than most anticipate. On the other hand, if Losman plays like last year, Nall proves to be nothing and Holcomb plays like Holcomb, 6 wins will be the maximum.

 

One reason I have some optimism is because this team was poorly coached last season. I can state without any equivocation that Mike Mularkey had no business being a head coach and over his head is an understatement. Just getting adequate coaching would improve the team dramatically.

714084[/snapback]

 

We have 3 good QB's = we have no good QB's

 

We are loaded with WR depth = we have only 1 starting quality WR

 

OL upgraded = the mantra for this position the last couple (at least) years

 

I don't think I am being gloom and doom here, just the facts, IMHO.

 

That said, Yes, surprising QB play would be a huge boost to the entire team including the D, OL, and WR's. But to make the playoffs we'd need very surprising play from our new DT's as well and I just don't see it. Hope I am wrong.

 

Go Bills!

[jarthur31]

this is similar to a post a bit down on this page but say a QB (preferably Losman) does in fact step up and play, not just "okay" but *gasp* above average, (as in more than 200 yards/game for once and maybe more TDs than INTs) do the bills have all the tools in other positions to make a surprise [playoff] push?

 

...or are we still scouting Brady Quinn like madmen?

714075[/snapback]

 

If he indeed does post such numbers then that would mean that we have a decent running game (80 yards/game) and we have a shot at having a winning season. I'm all for that!

 

The only question mark so far would be the defense--particular our run stopping ability. I don't think we have to worry about teams.