QB performance

[Orton's Arm]

The play that really shows TE smarts was the sack he took near the end of the game. We were trying to run out the clock before the field goal. He rolls out had plenty of time to throw the ball away. He didn't try to force it in and knew that an incompletion would stop the clock and didn't run out of bounds. Processing all this in seconds. Best sack we ever took!

I was thinking the exact same thing. That sack and Lindell's FG pretty much iced the game.

[Orton's Arm]

Call them dink and dumps. I don't care. If every time he drops back to throw, the Bills averaged 9 yards, I can deal with it.

When I posted earlier about this, I hadn't realized how good Edwards' numbers are for the year. 9 yards per pass attempt is good. Really good. Statistically, he looked like a top-5 QB today. In terms of decision-making and on-field generalship, he played like a top-5 QB today.

 

If he plays at exactly this level for the next 10+ years, he'll have an excellent career, with plenty of trips to Honolulu. And if we can build a team around that--as we seem to be doing--Honolulu might not be the only place Bills players travel to come February.

[drunkenirishmann]

If we put things in perspective the best thing that happened was the coaches annoucing TE as our starting QB instead of an open competition. TE had all the snaps during the OTAs along with mini-camp that he didn't get last year. Personally I think that made all the difference with his production so far.

[BuffOrange]

The play that really shows TE smarts was the sack he took near the end of the game. We were trying to run out the clock before the field goal. He rolls out had plenty of time to throw the ball away. He didn't try to force it in and knew that an incompletion would stop the clock and didn't run out of bounds. Processing all this in seconds. Best sack we ever took!

 

Was that actually a designed pass play? Anyone else find that inexplicably insane if it was?

[MRW]

Was that actually a designed pass play? Anyone else find that inexplicably insane if it was?

Actually I was thinking you might consider throwing a pass play into the mix there, if you trust your QB to do exactly what Edwards did. I ultimately decided that the downside (longer FG attempt, possible fumble or stupid QB decision) outweighed the possibility of winning the game right there, but I can understand the thought.

[pkwwjd]

Actually I was thinking you might consider throwing a pass play into the mix there, if you trust your QB to do exactly what Edwards did. I ultimately decided that the downside (longer FG attempt, possible fumble or stupid QB decision) outweighed the possibility of winning the game right there, but I can understand the thought.

I thought it was a designed naked bootleg. Spread formation, everyone went left except for Trent who went right. As soon as he saw he wasn't alone, he goes down. Just my thought.

[BuffOrange]

I thought it was a designed naked bootleg. Spread formation, everyone went left except for Trent who went right. As soon as he saw he wasn't alone, he goes down. Just my thought.

 

I think yur right. There's no way you can take any chance of an incompletion and leaving them 70 seconds when you're guaranteed to give them 30 sec's max by running (not to mention a FG attempt of less than 40 yards).

[Kelly the Dog]

He also had two great throws, the 37 yarder to LE and the 7 yarder right down the chimney to Hardy who made a tremendous catch. The fact is, TE has made all the throws asked of him, both short or long, and is making great decisions. I don't care about check downs, I care about completions, yards, and most importantly wins. Edwards looked good today, and the Bills won. Checkdowns that go for 15+ yards are as good as a fifteen yard completion down field. Either way the same result.

Exactly. I thought Trent was great today. Every single game there are a couple bad plays and a couple potentially great plays that a QB needs to make. Edwards was terrific today. The late deep pass to Evans was fabulous. The TD to Hardy (with equal or greater props to Hardy) was terrific. he came up big when we needed him. He didn't force the ball or make mistakes. He looks like he's in control and doesn't panic. He is really playing well. And Shonert is running a terrific offense for him.

[Georgia Bill]

Man when that last drive started I was thinking this is where playoff caliber teams step-up and make it happen. Deep in my gut, being a long time Bills fan, I had a feeling it just wasn't going to happen, and that my extreme optimism for this team was about to run smack-dab into the painful reality of another coulda shoulda woulda type loss. Still I held on to my hope. Wow - I was practically giddy about Trent's performance on that drive! Real poise and great passes in a real pressure type situation. Then our D steps up big time and makes the stops when it had to. I started feeling a real hope and belief that I have not had in a long, long, time. Great wins can burn away years of suffering. This is going to be a hell of a year! Go Bills!

[Kelly the Dog]

Shonert versus Fairchild also has a big effect on this. I will admit I had severe reservations about Turk before the season but he has been terrific calling plays, designing plays, getting everyone involved, etc. It just makes a huge difference.

 

You know it's true because "Fairchild sucks" may have been the only thing in the history of TBD that virtually everyone agreed on.

[JohninMinn.]

Before I am ready to pronounce TE the complete package who will carry us to the promised land there's a little obstacle called bad weather ahead. He still looks a little fragile to me. One game at a time mode.

[Albany,n.y.]

Shonert versus Fairchild also has a big effect on this. I will admit I had severe reservations about Turk before the season but he has been terrific calling plays, designing plays, getting everyone involved, etc. It just makes a huge difference.

 

You know it's true because "Fairchild sucks" may have been the only thing in the history of TBD that virtually everyone agreed on.

Ok, I'll play devil's advocate. I can't say for sure Fairchild sucked. I can say that Fairchild never had a QB he trusted. 1st JP, then a rookie-he felt he had to play conservative to protect both. We'll never know, but if Fairchild had the 2008 version of Edwards, he may have opened things up as much as Turk has done.

[Albany,n.y.]

Before I am ready to pronounce TE the complete package who will carry us to the promised land there's a little obstacle called bad weather ahead. He still looks a little fragile to me. One game at a time mode.

Please stop drinking the same stuff they serve at WGR. The Dolphins game was played in bad weather last year, Trent played great. The Browns & Giant games were once in a generation storms. It was still raining when Trent got the rust off against the Seahawks. Trent has put on extra muscle weight since last year.

[Kelly the Dog]

Ok, I'll play devil's advocate. I can't say for sure Fairchild sucked. I can say that Fairchild never had a QB he trusted. 1st JP, then a rookie-he felt he had to play conservative to protect both. We'll never know, but if Fairchild had the 2008 version of Edwards, he may have opened things up as much as Turk has done.

It isn't at all opening things up. The ONLY pass the team threw all down downfield was the late completion to Evans. If anything, they were more conservative than ever. The difference is the actual plays and play calling and formations. They throw on first down a lot (safe passes). They have multiple formations. They do a lot of things you learn in high school that Fairchild rarely did (screens, play-action, swing passes, flooding zones, etc.) The use of Jackson and Lynch together, as runners and receivers, is throwing defenses off. Moving around Evans is getting him different looks. It's just a completely different and refreshing offense. It has nothing to do with opening it up. They havent stretched the field at all. When they do, and they will, it could be scary.