Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

[Pinkerton Security]

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Have the Buffalo Bills adapted to their new West Coast offense?
This system, installed by new offensive coordinator Turk Schonert, should be beneficial for QB Trent Edwards, who needs to get his completion percentage up over the 60 percent mark. Yes, he finished at 56.1 percent last year, but was also guilty of having games in the 30 percent range. Edwards lacks big-time arm strength, but is a cerebral quarterback who makes good and quick decisions. This is a system that really benefits the Bills' personnel from Edwards to WR Lee Evans, who can make plays with the ball in his hands, to rookie WR James Hardy, who is a big target and can work the middle of the field, to RB Marshawn Lynch, who will see more seven-man fronts from three-receiver sets. Along with a maturing defense, the ability for Edwards to run this new system will go a long way toward deciding the Bills' playoff hopes.




One of Edwards 2 30% completion games was the travesty in Cleveland with the blizzard. The other was a legit bad game.

I may be behind the times but are we running a true West Coast offense??

[OpIv37]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

god I hope not.

We need a ball control offense and the past two WC offense experiments in Buffalo were dismal failures. We don't really have the WR's to pull it off anyway.

On a side note, I really hope all this stuff about Edwards' lack of arm strength are greatly exaggerated. Otherwise, it will be another example of Buffalo not setting up their team to the player's strengths. Just like when Fairchild had no bootlegs or running plays for Losman or when we had the statue-esque Bledsoe at QB with no OL, I hope we don't have two speedster receivers in Parrish and Evans with a QB who lacks the arm strength to get them the ball.

[Bulldog]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

I really don't know where this notion that Edwards lacks arm strength comes from. While he's obviously not Favre, Edwards has more than ample arm strength to get the ball down field. I would rather have a QB with adequate arm strength and the ability to make quick decisions, than a QB with a rocket arm that wouldn't know how to read a defense if you put a gun to his head.

[JJamezz]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

One of the things I'm looking forward to most this season is putting the whole arm strength BS to rest, one way or the other.. Does Trent have a throw a 70 yard bullet, off his back foot, in a windstorm.. Favre-esque type of arm, of course not, not even close.. But he's also not the second coming of Chad Pennington as many people in the media (and around here) want to believe.

And as for that Cleveland game, Anderson had a lower comp % than Edwards, but you never hear anything about that.. He played marginally better than Edwards, but they were both horrible.

[OpIv37]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

And as for that Cleveland game, Anderson had a lower comp % than Edwards, but you never hear anything about that.. He played marginally better than Edwards, but they were both horrible.

1. The rest of Anderson's season was MUCH better than Edwards'.
2. Cleveland won the game.

Stats like that don't matter when your team still gets the W.

[mayotm]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

1. The rest of Anderson's season was MUCH better than Edwards'.
2. Cleveland won the game.

Stats like that don't matter when your team still gets the W.

I don't think anybody was suggesting that Edwards had a better season than Anderson. However, much of the debate about Edwards arm strength in this forum started after the Browns and Giants games. Both games were played in horrible conditions. The point is that both Anderson and Manning were as bad, if not worse, than Edwards in those games. The Browns and Giants victories certainly weren't a result of good QB play. Yes, QB's that play in the north have to deal with bad weather, but those two games weren't your average bad weather games. I'm not suggesting that Edwards doesn't need to play better in bad weather. I am suggesting that his arm strength isn't an issue. Another quick point that I've touched on in past posts. Edwards did not throw the ball down the field a lot last year. Many jumped to the conclusion that it was due to lack of arm strength. I think it was more the result of being a young QB. Traditionally, young QB's are coached to check down. I think that was certainly the case with Edwards last year. I think he will throw the ball down the field more this year and will put to rest concerns about his arm strenght. Just my opinion.

[justasportsfan]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

Edwards lacks big-time arm strength, but is a cerebral quarterback who makes good and quick decisions.

Trent really needs to shut up his critics about his arm strength including Lee.

[baalworship]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

Edwards has a big arm. What he needs to improve on is his ability to play in bad weather. He looked like a young Montana when the weather was nice but just another rookie when the wind picked up.

I hope the coaches get these players outdoors more so we can enjoy what should be a home field advantage when it snows or there are deadly winds.

[Mr. Pink]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

You don't need a cannon arm to be a successful QB in the NFL.

I could care less if Edwards can't throw 60 yard bombs as long as he is smart enough to throw to the open receivers and hit 7-15 yard patterns all day.

Moving the chains and scoring points is infinitely better than hitting one long ball all day long.

[Night Train]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

You don't need a cannon arm to be a successful QB in the NFL.

I could care less if Edwards can't throw 60 yard bombs as long as he is smart enough to throw to the open receivers and hit 7-15 yard patterns all day.

Moving the chains and scoring points is infinitely better than hitting one long ball all day long.

Agreed and this sort of parallels your good post about baseball in the other forum.

People become too obsessed with the Home Run ball. If the guy has a good all around game and can produce positive yards, resulting in more points, we won't even think about his arm ever again.

The HOF is loaded with guys who never had the "big" arm.

[Coach Sal]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

This offense is not going to be the West Coast Offense.

Turk has stated numerous times that it will have some elements of the WCO, but many other elements, as well.

The only team that runs the TRUE version of the original WCO now is the Seattle Seahawks.

I don't understand why Jeremy Green would state that we are running the WCO and/or where he got that misinformation.

[Ickybaluky]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

Arm strength is the most overrated aspect of QB play.

There is no question a QB needs an NFL arm, but you don't judge that with the deep ball. Throwing the deep ball has more to do with timing and having WR who can threaten deep than pure arm strength. Guys like Steve Young and Jeff Garcia threw well downfield despite not having big arms, because they could time the throws and had good players on the other end.

The way to judge arm strength in the NFL is on throws to the outside 3rd of the field. Can the guy throw the out on a line, or does the ball hang there and allow the CB to recover? That is where guys like Chad Pennington and Ty Detmer, both of whom had great heads for the position, struggle.

I could care less if a guy can throw the ball 70-80 yards in the air. Billy Joe Tolliver and Jay Schroeder both could do that and sucked. Give me a guy who can throw a frozen rope on a 20-yard out pattern with accuracy. An NFL QB butters his bread on intermediate routes.

[Pinkerton Security]

Re: Q&A on X's and O's for AFC

ya, look at people like culpepper, boller, LOSMAN....we all know they can heave it deep, but when thats all you can do you will not have sustained success.