I just don't think it is possible for a journeyman quarterback to learn the Bills offense in a week and step in on Sunday. It's not fair to the player or the team either.
If the QB doesn't know the system well enough, he's putting himself and his teammates at risk of being injured.
Next Man Up
Tuel looked like a young deer in headlights Thursday night. He was awful. But it was not a lack of effort or arm strength that caused Tuel to play bad. He's a rookie too, suffering from inexperience and got thrown into the fire on a national stage in a major way. If he doesn't throw the pick 6, who knows. If he hits the long ball and scores a TD instead of throwing a crucial interception, he's the hero instead of the goat.
Give the kid a week and a half of preparation. He's got a strong arm, knows the system better than any other player available, and I kind of liked his attitude on the field even though he was getting his ass handed to him. He didn't quit. He was feisty. Deer in headlights look and all, he gave it his best shot and lost.
In Tuel's post game comments he took full responsibility and put the blame upon himself. He owned his mistakes, made no excuses, and sounded like a professional eager to come back and win next week. He may look like a kid, but didn't sound like one after the game. He manned up and did what great NFL quarterbacks do when they lose the game - they place the loss squarely upon their own shoulders. Tuel did just that, which is not something I expected to hear or see after that game.
The NFL is a very odd, unpredictable league that changes by the day. One minute you're a backup, the next you're on the field expected to win a game being viewed by millions of people all over the country. One minute you're a nobody holding a clipboard on the sidelines, and the next you're a household name.
If Jeff Tuel magically pulls a W out of his hat and the Bills win next week, every football fan in America is going to know who Jeff Tuel is.
All I can say is...let the quarterback controversy begin before it has even started!
What if Tuel magically pulls 6 straight W's out of nowhere?
The NFL is weird like that.
If the QB doesn't know the system well enough, he's putting himself and his teammates at risk of being injured.
Next Man Up
Tuel looked like a young deer in headlights Thursday night. He was awful. But it was not a lack of effort or arm strength that caused Tuel to play bad. He's a rookie too, suffering from inexperience and got thrown into the fire on a national stage in a major way. If he doesn't throw the pick 6, who knows. If he hits the long ball and scores a TD instead of throwing a crucial interception, he's the hero instead of the goat.
Give the kid a week and a half of preparation. He's got a strong arm, knows the system better than any other player available, and I kind of liked his attitude on the field even though he was getting his ass handed to him. He didn't quit. He was feisty. Deer in headlights look and all, he gave it his best shot and lost.
In Tuel's post game comments he took full responsibility and put the blame upon himself. He owned his mistakes, made no excuses, and sounded like a professional eager to come back and win next week. He may look like a kid, but didn't sound like one after the game. He manned up and did what great NFL quarterbacks do when they lose the game - they place the loss squarely upon their own shoulders. Tuel did just that, which is not something I expected to hear or see after that game.
The NFL is a very odd, unpredictable league that changes by the day. One minute you're a backup, the next you're on the field expected to win a game being viewed by millions of people all over the country. One minute you're a nobody holding a clipboard on the sidelines, and the next you're a household name.
If Jeff Tuel magically pulls a W out of his hat and the Bills win next week, every football fan in America is going to know who Jeff Tuel is.
All I can say is...let the quarterback controversy begin before it has even started!
What if Tuel magically pulls 6 straight W's out of nowhere?
The NFL is weird like that.
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