Eric Wood's Recent Comments On Thad Lewis

[BillsImpossible]

Quite interesting.

http://audio.wgr550.com/a/85359534/12-23-eric-wood-with-mike-schopp.htm?pageid=28473

About 3 minutes and 30 seconds in to the interview.

"Well Thad throws a great ball, and he spins the ball so hard that it will hold up in the weather like it did yesterday...but Thad's a gamer, and he's a lot of fun to play with and moving forward, um, that's a guy I'd love to have on our team moving forward. Obviously EJ is um, looked at to be the future franchise quarterback, and I'm a 100% in on that, but uh, but Thad Lewis is a guy that if we can keep him around, um, I'll be extremely happy about it."

[GvilleBills]

Quite the endorsement...

[tampabay25690]

Locker room luvs Thad as well.
I saw Thad on the sideline in Jax and he was so in the game!!

[coastal]

Sounds like Thad has the players...

[TacklingDummy]

Sounds like the players realize EJ is a bust and that they know management will stick with EJ because he was a 1st round pick. Even at the cost of the team being a playoff team with Thad.

[Bangarang]

Sounds like Thad has the players...

Or it sounds like a guy not about to trash his teammate on the radio.

I'm sure Thad is well liked in the locker room

[YardRat]

I know for a fact similar contextual comments were made about Frank Reich. Not a big deal.

[Don't Panic]

Sounds like the players realize EJ is a bust and that they know management will stick with EJ because he was a 1st round pick. Even at the cost of the team being a playoff team with Thad.

To be clear, you are in a significantly small minority when you say EJ is a bust, but you are in an even smaller minority when you say the players think EJ is a bust. Wanting it to be so doesn't make it so. Players don't quit on rookies like cynical fans do.

[RedEyE]

Sounds like a team leader showing confidence in both QBs. Stevie made similar statements earlier in the year with Tuel at the helm. I wouldn't read too much into this.

[Later]

Sounds like the players realize EJ is a bust and that they know management will stick with EJ because he was a 1st round pick. Even at the cost of the team being a playoff team with Thad.

Bills are 2-2 when Thad starts. Not sure that qualifies as a "playoff team."

[TacklingDummy]

Bills are 2-2 when Thad starts. Not sure that qualifies as a "playoff team."better than 4-6.

The Bills wouldn't have lost all 6 of those game if Thad was the starter from Day 1.

The Bills would be 12-3 right now with competent QB play all year.

[Skooby]

EJ can't be a bust because he hasn't stayed healthy enough to see if he can learn basic footwork skills to be able to accurately pass in the NFL. Personally speaking, he's in over his head & we threw him to the wolves too early not knowing how he'd respond. This few games in, getting hurt & few games out stuff is trying everyone's patience. Probably best to see if he can stay healthy next year in the preseason & have him compete for a job, versus just a anointing him a starter.

He also just came out of a program where the the new QB is amazing & has literally lead the team to the national championship game while winning every award known as a freshman. That leads me to believe that EJ had some pieces around him that were really good & FSU needed a good QB to shine real bright.

[Skooby]

better than 4-6.

The Bills wouldn't have lost all 6 of those game if Thad was the starter from Day 1.

The Bills would be 12-3 right now with competent QB play all year.

We'd be at least 10 wins in with a competent QB, 12 games is a little high.

[TacklingDummy]

We'd be at least 10 wins in with a competent QB, 12 games is a little high.
Miami x2
Jets x 2
Pats
Cleveland
Carolina
Atlanta
Cincy
Ravens
Chiefs
Jags

12

[don137]

Not sure why people are selling EJ under the bus already. I am not convinced he is or isn't the franchise of the future. QB is a tough position to develop. Look at. Cam Newton. It is his third year and he has matured greatly from where he is now compared to when he played the bills in week two yet he still is not as consistent as Panther fans would like. He is getting more and more consistent over time with less bad games. I expected more out of EJ this year but I am not ready to throw in the towel.

[TacklingDummy]

Cam newton as a rookie threw for 4051 yards, 60%, 21 TDs, ran for 706 yards and 14 TDs.

I doubt anyone would be complaining with that.

[ICRockets]

I like Thad a lot. If the coaches are comfortable with him as the #2, I won't be upset that we don't sign a veteran or draft a QB early this offseason.

[delectrolux]

The oline totally loved Fitz.

[better days]

Cam newton as a rookie threw for 4051 yards, 60%, 21 TDs, ran for 706 yards and 14 TDs.

I doubt anyone would be complaining with that.

YOU WOULD!

And how many GAMES did he WIN?

[Historian]

Um.....

[Don't Panic]

Miami x2
Jets x 2
Pats
Cleveland
Carolina
Atlanta
Cincy
Ravens
Chiefs
Jags

12

I see your drifting from reason goes in the positively wrong direction just as easily as the negatively wrong direction. If only the two evened out to make you less wrong.

This team would have needed a healthy top 5 QB to win 12 games, even with this schedule. While our defense has been good, it hasn't been that consistently good where our O (specifically QB) was the only problem. We do not have a 12 win O line, a 12 win TE, and arguably not 12 win WRs. This team is a ways away from being a 12 win team. I'd take 10 wins and be happy at this point.

[K-Gun]

Miami x2
Jets x 2
Pats
Cleveland
Carolina
Atlanta
Cincy
Ravens
Chiefs
Jags

12

For sure, if Aaron Rodger or Drew Brees were the qb the Bills would be in contention for home field advantage.

[kishoph]

Let's see, Wood says that Thad's a gamer and he'd like for him to be on the team in the future, and EJ is looked at as the franchise QB and Wood is 100% behind that.

QB controversy, translated to Billszonian,
"Eric Wood loves Thad Lewis and says that EJ Manuel is a bust and we don't like him in the locker room."

[lightningbolt444]

For sure, if Aaron Rodger or Drew Brees were the qb the Bills would be in contention for home field advantage.

This team is an 8-9 win team with the consistency we play with. We have SOME talent lets not go overboard here but even our talented guys played extremely inconsistent week to week.

We blame the First jets game on EJ who was awful really awful yet our d gave up over 500 yards to Geno Smith.

ATL we are in position to win and vets fumble the ball. QB cant do anything after he throws the ball Offense puts up 31 points

Two of those games are Tuel games but lets not give the D a pass on the Cleveland game either as we were up by 7 going into the second half.

We have held TWO only TWO teams to under 20 points this season. Our d is not as great as some seem to think. This past week they played great but we also played a team that our strength matches their weaknesses perfectly. The other was Geno Smith and the Jets in the second game where he was just lost.

This team needs to get consistent and bring in more talent before they can even sniff double digit wins

[trapezeus]

I like Thad a lot. If the coaches are comfortable with him as the #2, I won't be upset that we don't sign a veteran or draft a QB early this offseason.

I would. i think thad played as well as he is capable of playing. EJ has left a lot to the imagination.you have to be better than what he's offered. and he hasn't really shown a level of getting better. he's pretty level.

So to go into next year thinking it's a matter of more tools when it still all about the lack of play at the QB position would be a tragedy. thad has earned to stay, but truthfully they all need to be pushed with a 3rd candidate whether that's through the draft or FA, they need another body and tuel needs to go.

[colin]

thad lewis is obviously not a good qb, not even close. he's just better than ej, at least at this point.

i'd love to bring in vick and make a playoff run, personally i don't think ej is ever gonna be good.

[trapezeus]

thad lewis is obviously not a good qb, not even close. he's just better than ej, at least at this point.

i'd love to bring in vick and make a playoff run, personally i don't think ej is ever gonna be good.

vick? we already have mobile qb who has accuracy issues and gets hurt a bunch in a regular season

[imbondz]

EJ can't be a bust because he hasn't stayed healthy enough to see if he can learn basic footwork skills to be able to accurately pass in the NFL. Personally speaking, he's in over his head & we threw him to the wolves too early not knowing how he'd respond. This few games in, getting hurt & few games out stuff is trying everyone's patience. Probably best to see if he can stay healthy next year in the preseason & have him compete for a job, versus just a anointing him a starter.

He also just came out of a program where the the new QB is amazing & has literally lead the team to the national championship game while winning every award known as a freshman. That leads me to believe that EJ had some pieces around him that were really good & FSU needed a good QB to shine real bright.

Might be so. But maybe EJ helped build that team. UT won its national championship the year after Manning left.

[swiper]

I see your drifting from reason goes in the positively wrong direction just as easily as the negatively wrong direction. If only the two evened out to make you less wrong.

This team would have needed a healthy top 5 QB to win 12 games, even with this schedule. While our defense has been good, it hasn't been that consistently good where our O (specifically QB) was the only problem. We do not have a 12 win O line, a 12 win TE, and arguably not 12 win WRs. This team is a ways away from being a 12 win team. I'd take 10 wins and be happy at this point.

Not to argue your point, because I don't necessarily disagree with it, but if you replace Manuel with Tom Brady and put Patriot uniforms on everybody (and give them the Patriot coaching staff) they certainly would win 12 games. The o-line, TE and WRs are absolutely good enough to win 12 games with the right QB/coach combination.

[TacklingDummy]

thad lewis is obviously not a good qb, not even close. he's just better than ej, at least at this point.

i'd love to bring in vick and make a playoff run, personally i don't think ej is ever gonna be good.
People thought I was crazy for wanting to sign Cutler, you're batshlt crazy.

[stuckincincy]

People thought I was crazy for wanting to sign Cutler, you're batshlt crazy.

You too.

Cutler (and we all know about his short fuse) would last through the pre season here - maybe - before he sniffed out the historical WNY fan venom that has chased many a player away towards more amicable venues.

[BillsImpossible]

Remember when Eric Wood said playing in Toronto sucked? He's not shy about letting people know what he thinks, and he's the second most important player on the offense if not the entire team.

If Wood really thinks Thad Lewis is just another Fitz at best, I don't think he would be giving him such high praise and publicly saying he wants him on the team next year, "moving forward."

What is surprising is what he didn't say about EJ Manuel. He didn't say, "Thad played great but we all know EJ is the future of this franchise so we need to get him back in there as soon as we can."

Wood didn't sound eager to have EJ Manuel back under center.

[alohabillsfan]

Cam was much more of a project coming out of college than EJ who started a ton of games at FSU!

[TacklingDummy]

Cam was much more of a project coming out of college than EJ who started a ton of games at FSU!

They call them projects to defend the suck.

[DynaPaul]

Cam is all flash and stats though. The guy has no heart and isn't to be feared in the playoffs.

[jamze132]

Well I have been more impressed watching Thad run the offense than EJ. At least when Thad misses a target or a read, you can tell he knows. With EJ, it seems like he's in bewilderment. Maybe he's just a an even-keel kind of guy, I don't know.

But what I do know is that Thad has our offense moving the chains more consistently and isn't afraid to throw the ball 40 yds.

[Historian]

Remember when Eric Wood said playing in Toronto sucked? He's not shy about letting people know what he thinks, and he's the second most important player on the offense if not the entire team.

.

Having me the guy, I appreciated his candor. My guess is that Lecter, Eb, Clump, Mike and Mikey did too.

I certainly hope he retires a Bill.

[pmoon6]

People thought I was crazy for wanting to sign Cutler, you're batshlt crazy.Nobody thought you were crazy.

Just misguided.

[Meathead]

i thought he was crazy

[justasportsfan]

Well I have been more impressed watching Thad run the offense than EJ. At least when Thad misses a target or a read, you can tell he knows. With EJ, it seems like he's in bewilderment. Maybe he's just a an even-keel kind of guy, I don't know.

But what I do know is that Thad has our offense moving the chains more consistently and isn't afraid to throw the ball 40 yds.

I at least think Thad is crazy enough to throw the ball which would make defenses think he may hit a couple of deep ones. With EJ they are worried he'll hit a couple of dinks.

[Gilly]

Sounds like the players realize EJ is a bust and that they know management will stick with EJ because he was a 1st round pick. Even at the cost of the team being a playoff team with Thad.


Bust?? what a dumb statement. No ne will bea able to answer that for another 3-4 years....

[Mouldsie]

I like Thad a lot. If the coaches are comfortable with him as the #2, I won't be upset that we don't sign a veteran or draft a QB early this offseason.
Who would be #1?

[better days]

Who would be #1?

Kolb is still under contract with the Bills. It will be interesting to see if he is in training camp next year.

[coastal]

I'd look to bring in Vick via free agency.

[colin]

People thought I was crazy for wanting to sign Cutler, you're batshlt crazy.
I figured this wouldn't be popular. Cutler will be expensive, and need a long term contract. Vick will only need a 2 year deal. Vick can make plays all on his own, he's a good addition. He also showed class stepping aside this year, cutler shows none. I'd take either, but Vick is the lower hanging fruit.

[kishoph]

But what I do know is that Thad has our offense moving the chains more consistently and isn't afraid to throw the ball 40 yds.


Do you know that Manuel is ranked 18th in % of downfield throws.
Manuel has attempted 5 passes that have traveled more than 41 yds. in the air, 9 passes between 31 and 40 yds. and Thad has attempted 1 over 41 yds. and 3 between 31 and 40 yds. Stats are from ESPN
Manuel has 1,019 air yds. (10 games), Thad has 449 (5 games)
Manuel has 17 big passing plays, Thad has 6 big passing plays.
Manuel averages 197 yds. per game, Thad averages 162 yds. per game

http://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/teams/324/buffalo-bills/#Points%20per%20Game$SeasonMax=9999&SeasonMin=1990