The reality of the QB situation

[OpIv37]

I have a lot of thoughts on this, so this thread may have a bit of a "stream of consciousness" feel to it, but I'll do my best to keep it coherent. Also, I feel the need to preface this by saying I want JP to do well, but not nearly as much as I want the Bills to win.

In previous seasons, JP has shown flashes of brilliance but has struggled to be consistent and still makes incredibly stupid mistakes- every time he seems like he's past it, he does it again. The guy has the physical talent, but it seems like the game has yet to "slow down" for him.

Through two games, he has performed horribly. No doubt he was hampered by play calls and poor performance by our wide receivers, but that's no excuse. He has missed wide open receivers, been slow with decision-making, and failed to feel the pressure. None of this can be blamed on anyone except JP himself.

This puts us in a tough situation regarding QB. JP has yet to prove that he can be a consistent starter in the NFL, but he does show flashes of that ability (although he has yet to do it this year). How many games should he get (or any QB, for that matter) before we can say he doesn't have what it takes? The team would be much better off if JP could become the QB we need and save us from starting over with the QB grooming process, but at the same time, if JP isn't the guy, the sooner we re-start the process, the better off we'll be in the long run.

So, the real question at this point: Would we be better off with Trent Edwards at QB? It's hard to imagine Edwards being much worse, but "not being worse" is different than being better. The receivers have struggled and the play calling has been horrendous. So far, Edwards did well against a bunch of scrubs in pre season, but hasn't proven himself against a real NFL D (he hasn't even had the opportunity). My concern would be that playing Edwards now would be throwing him to the wolves. In his book, Marv himself said QB's have to be groomed slowly, and playing a QB too soon can "shell shock" him and ruin a potentially good QB.

JP is on a short leash- Bills nation seems to be in agreement on that. The difference comes on just how short that leash should be. My thoughts at the moment: Give JP his last shot until the bye. Open up the playbook- let him go downfield and use his speed (man, Fairchild is TERRIBLE at using JP's speed, but that's another issue). If JP turns the ball over and we lose, so what? We're losing anyway with this Holcomb-esque "dink and dunk" crap. Might as well take the chance.

I think this solves two problems: 1. It opens up the offense and hopefully gets the rest of the offense going. This way, if Edwards does end up playing, we won't be throwing him to the wolves. 2. If JP is given every chance to make a play and still chokes, it will make it that much easier to pull him at the bye.

The only thing I have left to say is: GO BILLS!

[Pride]

100% agree

It is too early for Edwards to start. I don't want to punish him for bad playcalling.

Stop being afraid of being beat badly (we just experienced it last week, and will again this week) and let JP run HIS type of offense all day long. Let him audible out more often, let him run some no huddle.

I firmly believe JP is a Rhythm QB. He needs to get into a rhythm, but when he does... he's unstoppable.

Point in short... IMO it is Fairchilds fault we are where we are at this point. If Fairchild changes and nothing improves... then I will blame JP.

[Earthquake Enyart]

JP has a pass until the bye.

Then the JP era is over.

[patmoran2006]

Actually, the bad playcalling we're doing better suits Edwards' strengths than Losman's.

So if we're not firing Fairchild right now, I actually think the opposite and as long as he's still OC the sooner we get Edwards in the better chance we have to win.

[deepslant]

Actually, the bad playcalling we're doing better suits Edwards' strengths than Losman's.

So if we're not firing Fairchild right now, I actually think the opposite and as long as he's still OC the sooner we get Edwards in the better chance we have to win.

Agreed. Either fire Fairchild and find someone who an "open it up" downfield OC or take advantage of Fairchild's one success with Bulger and try Edwards.

Is the issue really "opening it up" or is it already opened up but JP is not looking past the first guy on the sideline 2 yards down field? They know by looking at the film. I don't.

[mybills]

100% agree

It is too early for Edwards to start. I don't want to punish him for bad playcalling.

Stop being afraid of being beat badly (we just experienced it last week, and will again this week) and let JP run HIS type of offense all day long. Let him audible out more often, let him run some no huddle.

I firmly believe JP is a Rhythm QB. He needs to get into a rhythm, but when he does... he's unstoppable.

Point in short... IMO it is Fairchilds fault we are where we are at this point. If Fairchild changes and nothing improves... then I will blame JP.
:bf1: Well said.

[The King]

I dont think JP has ever shown brilliance. I think he has shown he has the competence to be an NFL starter. Nothing about the kid has screamed brilliant. Its just so inconsistant no one knows who the real JP is.

[RedEyE]

Nice thoughts Op. I have no problems agreeing with anything you said, though I differ on Fairchild's approach with JP. I think it's Dick that has the leash on Fairchild.

Regardless, JP is a seasoned veteran now and there is no excuse for the type of play he's managed to provide this far into his career.

I can't tell you how frustrating it is to watch QBs excelling around the league as Buffalo continues to gamble with Losman now. I understand potential and embracing opportunity, but when you see guys trouncing through the league like Schaub, Anderson, Romo, Smith, Rothlisberger, hell even Campbell getting the job done on a consitant basis in an A1 fashion, it makes me sick to my stomach.

How long do you attempt to develop someone? At what point do you finally just throw in the towel and start again? As a fan for a very long time I have to say that I'm tired of deflated expecetations. This team should be competing in this league TODAY. Not drawing up the rear or close to last again and preparing to rebuild again tomorrow.

Honestly, watching other teams around the league, this might be the worst team in the NFL right now. I know we've sustained some injuries on defense, but as a whole, no one else in the league is playing this poorly. Even with Mularkey and Man Boobs the team at least performed and had a shot at winning week after week. This is the first time in a long time that I honestly feel the Bills do not have a chance in hell at winning a game this season.

Execution - poor. Coaching - poor. Once again the STs lead the charge. Do you realize that our return teams have more yards then the starting offense? Pitiful.

Excuses should no longer be tolerated. I want to see changes from the coaching staff if nothing improves by the bye week.

[Philagape]

Actually, the bad playcalling we're doing better suits Edwards' strengths than Losman's.

So if we're not firing Fairchild right now, I actually think the opposite and as long as he's still OC the sooner we get Edwards in the better chance we have to win.

How many games will be lost because the playbook is designed for a different QB than the one who's starting?

[Philagape]

With the good games he's had before (last year he had more good games than bad), JP has earned the right to try to keep his job, and with opening up the playbook. If he succeeds using certain plays, then stick with those plays. He should stay in there until every conceivable solution, every play, is exhausted. Then no one can say the play-calling sabotaged him.

[Mitchy moo]

How many games will be lost because the playbook is designed for a different QB than the one who's starting?

A question only the people allowing JP to play can answer. Right offense, wrong QB.

It's amazing that we take steps to improve the O-line and the RB and leave the QB position alone. The line is playing fine and giving JP more time, Lynch runs real hard and is a gamer and JP is clueless. Does this whole pattern seem a little confusing to you?? Me too.

Lose JP and put Edwards in to run a offense designed around his style.

[Gunzlingr]

No matter what happens, when JP leaves Buffalo, he will probably light it up somewhere else. That is just the way things go for the Bills. Probably go to the NFC, and the Bills will lose their 5th super bowl to his team in a couple years :D

[bflojohn]

Why, on earth, do coaches try, in vane, to jam a square peg into a round hole? Coaching 101 dictates that you provide YOUR player with his best chance at success! JP Losman is NOT a systems QB, and THAT is exactly what Steve Fairchild is jamming down his throat! Play to the teams strengths, with an attacking mentality, NOT the conservative "playing not to lose" philosophy! Football is an aggressive game played by aggressive human beings. Pulling in the reigns on throbred athletes is somehow just plain stupidity to me!! Losman, for all his ups and downs is basically a gunslinger type who relishes the mode of operation where he lets it all fly... good or bad! How many QB's in this league play with that bravado? Favre, Brady, Manning, Romo, Brees, and Palmer to name a few. before anyone goes off the deep end I'm NOT comparing JP to these guys, however, wouldn't WNY enjoy a wide open, no huddle, go for the throat mentality again? I think so, so let's see what is gained from that type of commitment!

[Mitchy moo]

throbred[/b] athletes is somehow just plain stupidity to me

Throbed, lol.:bandwagon

What kind of horse do you have?? A throbed, gangsta pony.

[justasportsfan]

No why would Moran want Fairchild fired when he was a big fan of his in St. Louis?

[Philagape]

If play-calling is not a problem, then let's send Royal on go routes or try an end-around to Parrish at the goal line. Let's just bring Gilbride back.

[raphael120]

Actually, the bad playcalling we're doing better suits Edwards' strengths than Losman's.

So if we're not firing Fairchild right now, I actually think the opposite and as long as he's still OC the sooner we get Edwards in the better chance we have to win.

It's the OC's and HC's job to call the plays that best suit our talent, the plays that best utilize our talent and our talents strong suits. Thus far, I have yet to see the OC and HC do this. I think the blame lies at the feet of the coaching staff and JP himself. I'm almost happy to see that JP is calling out the OC because the playcalling is horrendous and how are we going to know what JP can do if you don't give him the chances to do it. If he fails, oh well. But it's a losing situation right now, our play calls as of right now are NOT going to put us in the best position to win. Where's all these 4 wide plays? I'm sick and tired of seeing the dual TE formation. This does not suit our strengths, it magnifies our weaknesses in lack of blocking or catching TE's and also doesn't spread out the defense too much to give Lynch room to run.

They're not running roll outs, they might even want to make designed plays to let JP run. Anything to keep the defense honest! And we got Lynch specifically because he can catch...yet we're not using him much at all in the passing game. If you want to have this identity of explosive offense, then do it! If you want to run the dink and dunks, might as well just pack it up and forfeit games because we won't win like that. We have the talent to do better than dink and dunks and it's going to a waste right now. We have decent WR's when we run out of 4 wide, we have 5 legitimate recievers when you factor Lynch into the equasion. The thing is, if JP doesn't have the smarts to make the right decision and read the defense when he has so many options at receiver, then we're in trouble. And that is what I'm afraid of, if that is why we're not seeing more 4 wide singleback formations, because JP just doesn't make reads fast enough to handle that many decisions at once. If that's the case, then we need to find someone who can. But we need to find out ASAP, because as of the past two games, we've wasted time and played decidedly worse than we did in preseason, aside from Lynch being a huge force everytime he touches the ball. He averages 6 yards every first down run. That's setting us up for a lot of 2nd and shorts, and we're not converting. We have the talent to be explosive, but we need to find out if JP is smart enough right now to handle the load. But we also need the coaches to just have some damn balls sometimes and not be so damn conservative. I'd rather watch paint dry on my nuts than watch some of our drives on offense.

[raphael120]

With the good games he's had before (last year he had more good games than bad), JP has earned the right to try to keep his job, and with opening up the playbook. If he succeeds using certain plays, then stick with those plays. He should stay in there until every conceivable solution, every play, is exhausted. Then no one can say the play-calling sabotaged him.

I would love to be seeing more games like the first Jets game last year where JP is slingin the ball left and right and we're sustaining drives and Lynch can be bustin off big runs.

[Mitchy moo]

but we need to find out if JP is smart enough right now to handle the load.

When has he been smart enough yet? So what makes you think he starts being smart now??

[raphael120]

Why, on earth, do coaches try, in vane, to jam a square peg into a round hole? Coaching 101 dictates that you provide YOUR player with his best chance at success! JP Losman is NOT a systems QB, and THAT is exactly what Steve Fairchild is jamming down his throat! Play to the teams strengths, with an attacking mentality, NOT the conservative "playing not to lose" philosophy! Football is an aggressive game played by aggressive human beings. Pulling in the reigns on throbred athletes is somehow just plain stupidity to me!! Losman, for all his ups and downs is basically a gunslinger type who relishes the mode of operation where he lets it all fly... good or bad! How many QB's in this league play with that bravado? Favre, Brady, Manning, Romo, Brees, and Palmer to name a few. before anyone goes off the deep end I'm NOT comparing JP to these guys, however, wouldn't WNY enjoy a wide open, no huddle, go for the throat mentality again? I think so, so let's see what is gained from that type of commitment!

Gunslingin, hell yeah! I'll take the 3TD 3 INT games, I dont care, I just want to see JP doin somethin, see our offense DOING something, being EXPLOSIVE, as JP has harped on again and again and again. I think he saw what they were capable of in training camp and is just wondering why the coaches are bein so scared to test tough defenses, and honestly Denver's D is nothing to write home about. But damn, I know the Steelers are good but I honestly didn't see the Steelers D smother us as much as we suffocated ourselves by dropped balls, stupid penalties and JP holding onto the ball too long and not throwing it to evans and letting him make a play when half the time Evans was just under man coverage while the Steelers blitzed and JP wouldnt even throw it up there for Evans to make a play. The Steelers dont have a champ bailey, there is no excuse for your number 1 playmaker in Evans to not have a single pass thrown to him in all the first half of a game. I dont care WHO youre playing!

[Philagape]

This is an extreme example, but if a coach tried to make Vick a pocket passer, what kind of a dumbass ****** would that coach be?

[raphael120]

When has he been smart enough yet? So what makes you think he starts being smart now??

He's been smart, or conservative enough to not have thrown stupid picks, and that one he had in Denver doesnt really count. I think he's too concerned with not messing up that he doesnt take gambles and he just holds onto the ballunless there is someone wide open.

[The last buffalo fan]

He's been smart, or conservative enough to not have thrown stupid picks, and that one he had in Denver doesnt really count. I think he's too concerned with not messing up that he doesnt take gambles and he just holds onto the ballunless there is someone wide open.

R120, you are wasting your time, he is now against you, but eventually he will be on your side. You better talk to the hand or to the wall.

[OpIv37]

This is an extreme example, but if a coach tried to make Vick a pocket passer, what kind of a dumbass ****** would that coach be?

he'd be a laughingstock if he coached for the Dolphins but an offensive genius if he coached for the Bills.

[wozrob11]

edwards? come lets get real with the schedule we have this year brian brohm here we come!!!

[YardRat]

Let him call his own plays. Lets see if he's smart enough to play the position, and wise enough to not get one of his teammates killed.

Go for it.