Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

[BillsImpossible]

Mikey Likes:

1. Toughness - How many rookie quarterbacks would have been able to start game 1 against New England after getting injured in training camp and missing so much valuable time, and almost beat the Pats in his first game ever?

That is, "gutsy," and it wasn't a fluke either.

Three knee injuries in one year, and EJ never whined about it. No doubt he played hurt, and that counts a lot in the NFL. The injuries he suffered would probably put most people out of work for a year. We never heard him ***** or moan about ANYTHING. He didn't use his injuries as an excuse either.

2. Poise - EJ never lost his composure last year, with a lot of adversity on his plate to deal with. He never had that deer in the headlights look on his face all year. Throughout his struggles as a young quarterback, EJ kept his composure and never acted or played like a guy who didn't belong in the league.

3. Clutch - If he had 2 more minutes on the clock against the Patriots in week 1, who knows. Manuel performed exactly how we all wanted him to perform in the big moments against Carolina and Baltimore.

And then came Thursday night in Cleveland......the defining moment of 2013.

EJ's numbers were incredible after his first two games.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/15803/ej-manuel

Mulligan!

Mikey Dislikes:

1. Field Vision - EJ Manuel missed a lot of potential big plays last year, with good protection. He must learn quickly from his rookie mistakes, and I think his accuracy percentage will get better.

2. Stay in the pocket! - EJ needs to get comfortable in the pocket, keep his shoulders parallel to the field and start stepping up to avoid pressure instead of relying on his twist and spin move.

3. Too quiet - Humility and humbleness are great attributes...for nuns.

Not quarterbacks. When is the last time you heard an interview with EJ Manuel? I understand he's been busy practicing with his teammates this off season, but at least pick up the phone and give Murph a call!

People want to hear what EJ Manuel has to say. He needs to start being the, "Face of the Franchise."

EJ Manuel is the future of the Buffalo Bills. The future will be televised!

Get used to the spotlight, EJ.

It's okay to shine like a star.

[YardRat]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

Likes-

1. Plays well in clutch situations.
2. Demeanor--he seems very level headed and composed most of the time.
3. The Billy Dee Williams porn-stache. Classic.

Dislikes-

1. Injuries.
2. Long ball accuracy.
3. Injuries.

[JoeMama]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

Hey this thread unfairly assumes I saw three whole things I liked from EJ.

[BB4ever]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

Like nothing dislikes:
Predictable spin move led to unwarranted sacks.
Very bad footwork.
Very poor accuracy.
Escaped the pocket when unecessary.
Inflated stats during garbage time that has everybody drinking the koolaid.
Regressed during the season.
Started so slow in every game.
Injuries
Largely inconsistent.
Had confidence issues.
Missed wide open receivers.
Had to have the playbook and reads dumbed down in the middle of the season.
Im done

[stuckincincy]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

I still shake my head at the BUF management pulling their PR stunt of having a rookie (!) try to run a quick-paced offense because of their iffy OL. They bragged about what they were going to do. You rob that rookie of learning to diagnose defensive sets, defensive shifts, proceed to radically compress his decision time and speed up the game for him, then wonder why the kid scooted out of the pocket and/or flung high sideline passes to receivers who didn't have time to get separation.

Terrible coaching, terrible management - which makes him now, little more than the unknown quantity he was in the first game of the season.

[trapezeus]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

i agree with the likes of the original poster.

the dislikes are the same as well, but i also really didn't like how streaky he was. it might not be reflected in his stats, but there were games where he seemed comfortable and he could really throw great passes. then other games, he came out stiff and was pushing the ball and not throwing with confidence. and that lead to inaccuracy and a spiraling of confidence.If he was just most confident and consistent early, i think he would be in good shape of being a game manager this year.

I just want to see him have a good year where the TD's are at a 1.5-2 to 1 ratio of his interceptions. i'd like to see mostly 200-350yard yards per game. i'd like to see him only throwing about 20-25 times a game and having a qb rating of about 70-85 consistently

[justasportsfan]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

Likes:
1. If true, he has a great work ethic
2. Size
3. Arm Strength

Dislikes
1. Does not trust his receivers - most of the time they have to be completely open for him to throw to them or he's dinking the ball.For Watkins/Woods/Goodwin/M. Williams to reach their potential , EJ has to pull the trigger and trust his receivers to make plays.


2. Injuries
3. Lack of confidence.Plays scared.

[OpIv37]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

Mikey Likes:

1. Toughness - How many rookie quarterbacks would have been able to start game 1 against New England after getting injured in training camp and missing so much valuable time, and almost beat the Pats in his first game ever?

That is, "gutsy," and it wasn't a fluke either.

Three knee injuries in one year, and EJ never whined about it. No doubt he played hurt, and that counts a lot in the NFL. The injuries he suffered would probably put most people out of work for a year. We never heard him ***** or moan about ANYTHING. He didn't use his injuries as an excuse either.

2. Poise - EJ never lost his composure last year, with a lot of adversity on his plate to deal with. He never had that deer in the headlights look on his face all year. Throughout his struggles as a young quarterback, EJ kept his composure and never acted or played like a guy who didn't belong in the league.

3. Clutch - If he had 2 more minutes on the clock against the Patriots in week 1, who knows. Manuel performed exactly how we all wanted him to perform in the big moments against Carolina and Baltimore.

And then came Thursday night in Cleveland......the defining moment of 2013.

EJ's numbers were incredible after his first two games.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/gamelog/_/id/15803/ej-manuel

Mulligan!

Mikey Dislikes:

1. Field Vision - EJ Manuel missed a lot of potential big plays last year, with good protection. He must learn quickly from his rookie mistakes, and I think his accuracy percentage will get better.

2. Stay in the pocket! - EJ needs to get comfortable in the pocket, keep his shoulders parallel to the field and start stepping up to avoid pressure instead of relying on his twist and spin move.

3. Too quiet - Humility and humbleness are great attributes...for nuns.

Not quarterbacks. When is the last time you heard an interview with EJ Manuel? I understand he's been busy practicing with his teammates this off season, but at least pick up the phone and give Murph a call!

People want to hear what EJ Manuel has to say. He needs to start being the, "Face of the Franchise."

EJ Manuel is the future of the Buffalo Bills. The future will be televised!

Get used to the spotlight, EJ.

It's okay to shine like a star.

You're kinda all over the place here. You compliment his toughness then mention that he got injured 3 times. Then you say you like how he never *****es, and proceed to complain that he's too quiet. Huh?

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

Manuel performed exactly how we all wanted him to perform in the big moments against Carolina and Baltimore.

Is this a joke?

[ghz in pittsburgh]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

I think you are putting too much hope on EJ. Despite all the praises and "all-in" the management has shown on EJ this off-season, I'm pretty sure they just hope him to be average which is, realistically, attainable. I can probably guarantee you that EJ 2014 will be better than EJ 2013. How much better? Even people at OBD never used playoff-better kind of words.

The way they added all these weapons pretty much says they hope these weapons will make him better, not the other way around. If you have Tom Brady, you expect him to make no name receivers better, which allows you to go picking more QBs who's not going to contribute on offense but maybe strike the lightening again.

So what is average, you may ask?

I'll start with completion percentage, can he get to low 60%? That'll extend a lot of drives. #2 maybe sacks taken. EJ got almost 3 sacks a game, many of his own doing. Get that down to 2 is a good start.

I really don't expect him to improve a great deal in long balls, striking fear into opponents, etc. Those are traits of elite QBs. Maybe he can down the road. This year just complete all the throws the defense give you. If the defense plays more or less the same (maybe less sacks but less rushing yards as well), we have a fairly good chance.

[Bill Cody]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

things I like:

poise in the pocket
leadership
clutch plays

things I don't like:

accuracy on longer passes
injuries
consistency

[BillsImpossible]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

things I like:

poise in the pocket
leadership
clutch plays

things I don't like:

accuracy on longer passes
injuries
consistency

Manuel's accuracy should improve with the addition of Sammy Watkins to the lineup, and a better running game.

Better pass protection should also help improve his accuracy.

With Mount Cujo on the right side, and Cyril Richardson at left guard, EJ is going to have all day to choose his receiver.

I think Doug Whaley recognized the main problem and did his absolute best to help correct it.

EJ Manuel needed a more versatile number 1 wide receiver, and he also needed more time to see plays develop in the pocket.

Imagine if Henderson has an excellent training camp?

The Bills offensive line in 2014 has the potential to be dominant.

No question about Henderson's talent and ability, all he has to do is stay out of trouble.

I think his new teammates will help him stay away from the past, along with Mike Williams.

[BillsImpossible]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

Like nothing dislikes:
Predictable spin move led to unwarranted sacks.
Very bad footwork.
Very poor accuracy.
Escaped the pocket when unecessary.
Inflated stats during garbage time that has everybody drinking the koolaid.
Regressed during the season.
Started so slow in every game.
Injuries
Largely inconsistent.
Had confidence issues.
Missed wide open receivers.
Had to have the playbook and reads dumbed down in the middle of the season.
Im done

He went 4-6 as a rookie with a bum knee! Give the kid a second chance.

Coach Doug Marrone said it's now "like a light going off" when talking with the Bills quarterbacks about the offensive playbook.
E.J. Manuel was wildly inconsistent as he digested OC Nathaniel Hackett's offense during his rookie campaign. Now he's in the "advanced stages" of the scheme, according to Marrone.

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/8331/ej-manuel

[DunkCityFan]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

Likes:

1) Love how he plays at the end of games. Shows potential for many 4th Quarter wins.
2) Love how he has earned the respect of management. Clearly they see something
3) Like that he is mobile

Dislike

1) Hate slow starts. Why can't he run the scripted plays well? Shows potential for many 1st Quarter loses.
2) Hate how he seems to have undying support from management. Even the best teams bring in competition.
3) Dislike that he is mobile because of injury concerns.

Kid's boom or bust for me. I feel like it won't be somewhere in between.

[BB4ever]

Re: Your Top 3 Likes and Dislikes About EJ Manuel's Rookie Year

He went 4-6 as a rookie with a bum knee! Give the kid a second chance.

Coach Doug Marrone said it's now "like a light going off" when talking with the Bills quarterbacks about the offensive playbook.
E.J. Manuel was wildly inconsistent as he digested OC Nathaniel Hackett's offense during his rookie campaign. Now he's in the "advanced stages" of the scheme, according to Marrone.

http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/8331/ej-manuel

I simply responded to the question posed. Doug marrone does not make up my mind nor does he play apart in my decision making process.