NFL Buffalo Bills

Benching EJ Manuel Is A Huge Mistake For Buffalo Bills

Fresh Videos

By @AnthonyBeers

ej manuel jj watt

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills fans are some of the most loyal fans on the planet. It has been over 15 years since Bills fans have seen a playoff game, yet Buffalo supporters have remained strong through thick and thin. And in 2013, a resounding feeling of hope and promise ran through Bills fans, as quarterback EJ Manuel was drafted with the 16th overall pick. Yesterday, however, it was announced that Manuel had been benched by the Bills just four games into the 2014 season.

Manuel’s 2013 campaign was very up and down. After showing great promise in his first few starts, Manuel went down with a knee injury that sidelined him for five weeks. Upon his return, Manuel displayed erratic play that is quite common for an NFL rookie, especially at quarterback. Despite the struggle, head coach Dough Marrone stood by him and announced that Manuel would be the starter in 2014.

After a strong 2-0 start to their season, the Bills dropped two games in a row and currently sit at 2-2. Against the Houston Texans this past Sunday, Manuel had his worst outing of the season, completing just 48 percent of his passes and throwing two interceptions. A big reason for Manuel’s struggles was the offensive line’s inability to slow down JJ Watt and the Texans’ defensive line. If Manuel wasn’t getting hit, he was jumpy in the pocket and threw a lot of passes off balance.

Marrone’s benching of Manuel fails to account for the fact that the Bills lost to the Texans as a team. It was a tough road game and the Texans were coming off of a loss to the New York Giants. As a whole the team failed to execute the offensive game plan in areas other than just quarterback play. And does Marrone truly believe they would have been better off with Kyle Orton?

Even if Orton’s play turns out to be better than Manuel’s it will hurt the team in the long run. At this time it is crucial that Manuel gains chemistry with rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins. This recent benching will alter the development of both young players in a way that will hurt the Bills long term.

Manuel would be totally justified in asking for a trade. This benching is completely hypocritical to all that the Bills have invested in just one short season ago. And due to the fact that Manuel missed many games in his rookie tenure, it only makes this judgment all the more premature. Bills fans deserve better than this.

Young quarterbacks need to develop confidence. Pulling them this early, when the Bills are still leading the division, shows you have very little confidence in your young quarterback. Some coaches believe this is how you motivate a player to perform better on the field, but this will not be one of those cases. Manuel and Bills fans deserve better than these overreactions. Marrone is allowing the pressure of coaching a team that hasn’t won in a while overcome what is actually best for the team and the fans in the present.

If in the right environment, Manuel can prosper. And if he’s in a setting where an offensive line is struggling, like it did against Houston, the youngster needs to be reminded from his head coach that he has his support. Instead, he lost his starting job to a nine-year veteran who’s been on six teams. So unless Orton goes on a fairy tale, magic carpet run to the Super Bowl, Marrone has made a serious mistake.

Anthony Beers is a Contributing Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyBeers. 

Share Tweet
Trending Now on