Just watched Bills Focus --

[ghz in pittsburgh]

What Van Pelt and JP said surprises me -- the way JP studies the play book in the past is trying to memorizes all of them, not trying hard to understand the reason behind each play, the whys.

Now I know NFL players are not a group of brightest minds. But I certainly expects the coaches are. How could you let players just remember plays but not finding out the reason behind the play, the formation, etc. especially for a QB?

I'm teaching my 7 year old multiplication this summer in anticipation of the upcoming school year. I know the remembering of a 3 times 4, a 7 times 9 will come in time, but the most important thing is to teach her what 3 times 4 means and why the answer is 12.

We all know Sam Wyche followed Losman around last year (or the other way around), but it looks like he did a bad job if all that time he spent with Losman was to have him remember the whole play book but nothing else. No wonder Losman got on the field and his head was going 100 mph because he tried to pick out that particular play from his head full of the play book.

This is the third year for Losman in NFL. I'm disappointed that he didn't think that way before - understanding the whys instead of memorizing the plays, formations. And I'm disappointed with the Mularkay and Co. for not guiding him that way. I'll bet with anyone that Tom Brady and Payton Manning started their career with trying to understand the whys of every single play.

At least Losman is now on the right path to approach the game like a real NFL QB, and he seems to get good help from Alex, Turk, and Steve. We'll see if he has what it takes to transform all this knowledge on the field.

[djjimkelly]

bro like one of my university profs used to say the guys getting 75% in course that actually understand what the content means and the guys who get 95% becuz they memorized the book. ill take the 75% guy becuz he will be able to solve problems!!!!

[justasportsfan]

Memorization= Rob Johnson

Adopting to whats given = Flutie


If only JP had Fluties brain, he'd be one hell of a qb.

[MTBillsFan]

As a social studies teacher at a Junior High and coach, seeing that JP is trying to Memorize the play book scares me a little... You memorize facts for a history test. Unless you actually take the time to learn why about the facts, you forget everything right after the test.
One thing he should learn and memorize are the hows and whys on the audibles on 3rd down when the defense shows blitz.

GO BILLS!

[YardRat]

A little window into where he is development-wise, maybe.

Crawl = learn the plays.
Walk = learn the 'why's' of the plays.
Run = Execute the plays, and Improvise when necessary.

[Typ0]

As a social studies teacher at a Junior High and coach, seeing that JP is trying to Memorize the play book scares me a little... You memorize facts for a history test. Unless you actually take the time to learn why about the facts, you forget everything right after the test.
One thing he should learn and memorize are the hows and whys on the audibles on 3rd down when the defense shows blitz.

GO BILLS!

It does scare me too...but then again I am one of those people out there who really needs to know why before I can be effective. I also know others who don't need to know why at all...they can execute something quite well just by knowing the basic facts and having a process to follow...in fact, they won't do it any better if they knew why. It really goes back to learning styles of individuals. I just hope JP is the learning style that can just memorize the facts and execute well if this is what he's doing...lol.

On a much higher level though...it's kind of like everyone who watches TV or a movie and says acting is so easy as anyone can memorize lines. I'd like to see any one of them memorize some lines and not be absolutely horrible to watch as an actor. If you want to be good at acting you really have to know the guts of what you are doing...you have to have purpose and conscience inside of the work you are doing. When you have those qualities you can really "own" what you are doing and you can listen and react to everything on the moment and the performance will be organic not rote and calculated. I would much more liken the scenario of an athlete to that of an actor than I would to put it in terms of learning styles.

Now here comes the armchair actors going to chime in and tell me how easy it is because the people that are good at it make it look easy....we've had this conversation here before.

[Typ0]

A little window into where he is development-wise, maybe.

Crawl = learn the plays.
Walk = learn the 'why's' of the plays.
Run = Execute the plays, and Improvise when necessary.


that's a good way to sum it up...after two seasons and three offseasons he shouldn't be crawling. I sure hope my daughter isn't just starting to crawl at three...if she is I accept her for what she is but I hope she's not crawling then!

[ICE74129]

Wow even more proof the previous staff screwed the kid up. Again Cutler = shanahan and RJ = Mularkey. Gee I wonder why Cutler already looks good

[YardRat]

Add another lame excuse to the list...

[Captain gameboy]

that's a good way to sum it up...after two seasons and three offseasons he shouldn't be crawling. I sure hope my daughter isn't just starting to crawl at three...if she is I accept her for what she is but I hope she's not crawling then!

I am against making excuses for the guy, and his lack of accuracy really alarms me.
But....It would be nice if he enjoyed a little continuity in offensive staff and direction.
His first year he broke a leg and was a backup trying to learn the pro game and a new offense.
His second year he was part of a "save your coaching job this week" offensive game plan strategy.
This year-new staff. New offense.

I think that stability will happen this year.
I hope we can stop analyzing his every footstep and let his natural athleticism emerge.

[~CHIEF~]

Go Jp!

[Statman]

A little window into where he is development-wise, maybe.

Crawl = learn the plays.
Walk = learn the 'why's' of the plays.
Run = Execute the plays, and Improvise when necessary.
Run = for his life
Crawl = after getting pressured, sacked, and pounded into the turf
Walk = off the field cussing the protection