Holcomb

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  • RedEyE
    Registered User
    • Jul 2002
    • 24661

    Holcomb

    Pat Kirwan brought up an interesting point in one of his blurbs this week. He noted that Holcomb has only had 9 throws all summer during preseason. I was thinking about it, and the turn of events that have transpired this off season from last are quite interesting and ironic (in a sense).

    I'm not dismissing Losman's efforts. I really think the kid has come a long way from a year ago. However, the conspiracy theorist in me has me wondering how much all of this wasn't planned from the get go. Seriously. Let's look back at camp a few weeks before the first preseason game. The QB race was a dead heat. Well, at least between Holcomb and Losman, although Nall was coming into his own before the injury anyway.

    Holcomb gets the start and gets pulled after just one quarter of football. Granted he played terribly flat and couldn't get the ball moving to save his life, but it seems to me that in a true sense of a QB competition you would have let him at least attempt to struggle through most of the second to regain some lost effort.

    Now, I know they also wanted to see Losman with the first team, so giving him the second QRTR makes sense, but letting him ride through with the second and third team to the middle of the fourth QRTR leaves me scratching my head.

    I can except the fact that they wanted Losman to attempt to gain momentum againt Carolina. An attmept to build his confidence.. but the fact that they didn't extend Holcomb the same opportunity the following week has me wondering if the coaching staff hadn't set JP up to easily succeed.

    Much like Losman a year ago, doesn't the decision of the coaching staff, of having pulled Holcomb without any reservation, help destory a little of his confidence ever so slightly? I think the reports of his performance in practice the week before the Bengals game certainly provides evidence in the case.

    In preseason week 2 Nall is back and they want to give him full on opportunity to prove himself. JP starts, has a very flat first qrtr, yet is allowed to to stay in through the 2nd qrtr to redeem his abilities. Its seemingly hypocritical that Holcomb was not offered the same opportunity the week prior. Almost immediatly Losman nails a strike to Evans downfield and his confidence excells, his momentum continues and his landing the starting job is now even more secured.

    Holcomb is given just the 3rd QRTR to out play his young competitor. 3 short drives and he's out. Nall comes in and has some success moving the ball. Holcomb again slides in confidence as well in his own ability. Once again his performance at practice proves this theory.

    If all of that wasn't interesting enough, in game three, Holcomb isn't even given the chance to play. Losman comes into the game not having to look over his shoulder as much as weeks past as he knows that Kelly will be riding pine and Nall still has much to prove. JP puts up his best game yet and is announced Week 1 regular season starter days after.

    Now, it's possible that I could be reading too much into this, but it seems to me as if Holcomb was phased out. Rather than losing the position he was set up in a lose-lose scenerio.

    With all that being said, I've always been a Losman supporter, but I just can't help but notice the events that have occured through the course of this so called "QB Competition".

    Any thoughts?
  • L.A. Playa
    Registered User
    • Aug 2003
    • 19295

    #2
    Re: Holcomb

    you think too much

    Comment

    • RedEyE
      Registered User
      • Jul 2002
      • 24661

      #3
      Re: Holcomb

      Originally posted by L.A. Playa
      you think too much
      Now there's something that I've never been accused of before.

      Comment

      • BidsJr
        Registered User
        • Sep 2002
        • 2858

        #4
        Re: Holcomb

        Thoughts?

        Yup, if Holcomb was lights out in the camp he would have had a fair shot. In fact that was his fair shot.

        When the coaching staff saw that a Young, and Green JP was ahead of him from teh get go the decision became pretty easy. It all fell into place when Holcomb looked totally unprepared in the first game, and they had to get him off the field to save embarrasment.
        "Well I drink too much and get punched in the head by fighters for fun, so my memory isn't so great." -OpIv37

        Comment

        • Kenny
          Registered User
          • Aug 2004
          • 2728

          #5
          Re: Holcomb

          Originally posted by RedEyE
          The QB race was a dead heat. Well, at least between Holcomb and Losman, although Nall was coming into his own before the injury anyway.
          Are you kidding me? Holcomb was terrible in camp. All he did was throw little 5-6yard passes.
          Losman was clearly the better QB in camp.

          Comment

          • alohabillsfan
            Registered User
            • Sep 2003
            • 3206

            #6
            Re: Holcomb

            THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS! YES, the coaching staff wants JP to suceed, so yes they planned this all along, if you have a young QB with shaken confidence from the last yo-yo staff, do you start him pre-season game 1 on the road against a great Carolina D no, you start him game 2 at home this only makes sense. They are brining him along slowly and developing a NFL QB what a concept. I like the direction we are going and will in the next year or 2 return to the top!

            P.S. Marv trade Nate for a draft pick now!

            Comment

            • RedEyE
              Registered User
              • Jul 2002
              • 24661

              #7
              Re: Holcomb

              Originally posted by Kenny
              Are you kidding me? Holcomb was terrible in camp. All he did was throw little 5-6yard passes.
              Losman was clearly the better QB in camp.
              That's just not a true statement. Both Holcomb and Losman were neck in neck before preseason started. Otherwise explain to me how Holcomb got the start over JP in game 1.

              Comment

              • RedEyE
                Registered User
                • Jul 2002
                • 24661

                #8
                Re: Holcomb

                Originally posted by BidsJr
                Thoughts?

                Yup, if Holcomb was lights out in the camp he would have had a fair shot. In fact that was his fair shot.

                When the coaching staff saw that a Young, and Green JP was ahead of him from teh get go the decision became pretty easy. It all fell into place when Holcomb looked totally unprepared in the first game, and they had to get him off the field to save embarrasment.
                Isn't it more emabarrasing to be pulled without a full opportunity or shot to prove yourself?

                Comment

                • Night Train
                  Retired - On Several Levels
                  • Jul 2005
                  • 33117

                  #9
                  Re: Holcomb

                  Of course ! It was all orchestrated to sell Losman to the locker room.

                  TD blew his stack after the Pittsburgh game in 2004, when Bledsoe completed 12-15 passes to the turf. He cut Bledsoe and force fed an obviously " Not ready for prime time " Losman to the roster. Horrible move.

                  This off-season, Jauron could see Losman had the most talent but Marv aquired Nall, just in case Losman did fall on his face. Holcomb could never be considered a serious candidate, especially after that Jets game to finish the season. He looked completely done as an NFL QB that day. This summer, he looked even worse !

                  The Bills wanted Losman to step forward and show something and he did. He's far from a polished product but experience without the weekly threat of being yanked will only make him better. Nall is not a bad backup QB at all and will be able to run the Fairchild Offense, if Losman gets hurt.

                  Qb isn't a worry for me and the Brady Quinn talk is just plain silly. ( Oh look, something shiny ! I want it ! ).

                  This team needs to draft 2-3 OL and a pass rushing DE next year. You win in the trenches and that's why we'll lose some games this year. Meanwhile, the mobility of JP will keep us in many games.

                  Go JP !
                  Anonymity is an abused privilege, abused most by people who mistake vitriol for wisdom and cynicism for wit

                  Comment

                  • Iehoshua
                    Registered User
                    • Jan 2003
                    • 12906

                    #10
                    Re: Holcomb

                    Originally posted by Night Train
                    Qb isn't a worry for me and the Brady Quinn talk is just plain silly. ( Oh look, something shiny ! I want it ! ).


                    Exactly the same thing that happens after (Insert any name here) is cut/released/on the trade block. 20 threads are created "Let's Sign Him!"

                    Comment

                    • Meathead
                      Insufferable ***** and perpetual crybaby
                      • Jul 2002
                      • 21349

                      #11
                      Re: Holcomb

                      i just think they played it smart

                      they know what they have in holcomb - a steady but unspectacular veteran who completes a high percentage of short throws but struggles with the long ball. not bad but not great

                      and of course they wanted losman to succeed, its the best thing for the franchise. still i think holcomb got a fair shot up until the first preseason game to show he deserved to remain the starter and he didnt do that. after that they wanted to a) get losman as many reps as possible and b) to see if nall should be elevated to number two

                      sure it probably doesnt help holcombs confidence but hes been around, he should be able to take it. hes got to know what he id - a borderline nfl starter more suiteed to being an insurance policy than a front line player. he will still have a home here and if not certainly someplace else in the nfl
                      One set of rules for all in the beloved community

                      Comment

                      • justasportsfan
                        Registered User
                        • Jul 2002
                        • 71580

                        #12
                        Re: Holcomb

                        Originally posted by RedEyE
                        Both Holcomb and Losman were neck in neck before preseason started. Otherwise explain to me how Holcomb got the start over JP in game 1.
                        Nope, JP was ahead. Who started in 1st preseason didn't matter. It was still a competition until then.
                        sacrifice1
                        https://theinterviewwithgod.com/video/

                        Comment

                        • RedEyE
                          Registered User
                          • Jul 2002
                          • 24661

                          #13
                          Re: Holcomb

                          Originally posted by justasportsfan
                          Nope, JP was ahead. Who started in 1st preseason didn't matter. It was still a competition until then.
                          How did you determine that? Woman's intuition?

                          Seriously, I can see towards the first game Losman was picking things up a bit, but it was still up in the air as to who would be starter. There isn't one person on this board that could have known that until it was put into a game scenerio.

                          Comment

                          • madness
                            Registered User
                            • Apr 2003
                            • 13690

                            #14
                            Re: Holcomb

                            Originally posted by RedEyE
                            Pat Kirwan brought up an interesting point in one of his blurbs this week. He noted that Holcomb has only had 9 throws all summer during preseason.
                            What camp was he watching?

                            Comment

                            • ICE74129
                              Legendary Zoner
                              • Feb 2005
                              • 10796

                              #15
                              Re: Holcomb

                              Originally posted by alohabillsfan
                              THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS! YES, the coaching staff wants JP to suceed, so yes they planned this all along, if you have a young QB with shaken confidence from the last yo-yo staff, do you start him pre-season game 1 on the road against a great Carolina D no, you start him game 2 at home this only makes sense. They are brining him along slowly and developing a NFL QB what a concept. I like the direction we are going and will in the next year or 2 return to the top!

                              P.S. Marv trade Nate for a draft pick now!
                              I agree with your last comment, trade Nate.

                              Comment

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