The Buffalo Bills meant it when they said they were committed to quarterback EJ Manuel. The team did not draft a quarterback in this year's draft despite Manuel suffering through his fair share of rookie issues on top of having multiple knee injuries. Head coach Doug Marrone state that Buffalo had all the confidence in the world in the second-year pro. However, Manuel's 2014 season is starting to show the same struggles as last year which could hurt the players around him.
According to WGR 550 reporting on the Buffalo Bills training camp, Manuel struggled for two straight days with inaccuracy and indecisiveness in the huddle. He had several interceptions while backups like Jeff Tuel threw the ball with more crisp and aggression. The inconsistency of Manuel is making the coaching staff a little crazy as they wait for the quarterback to take the next step in his progress. The Buffalo Bills made several moves this past offseason to add weapons around the quarterback including a trade for running back Bryce Brown and wide receiver Sammy Watkins, but if Manuel continues to take steps back in his progress, all of that will have been a waste.
Watkins is expected to be fantasy football gold this coming fall. Viewed as the best wide receiver in this year's best wide receiver, Watkins has impressed coaches so far in training camp. However, during the team's preseason game against the New York Giants, Watkins did not record a catch, being overthrown by Manuel. The two must get on the same page in order for the pairing to be successful.
"I can't wait to get back out there," Watkins said per Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News. "Hopefully we play a little longer. It's up to the coaches, but we need to get back on the same page and have great practices and come out and be prepared Friday. I can't wait until I catch a ball and get hit."
With Stevie Johnson getting traded to the San Francisco 49ers, the pressure is one players like Watkins and Robert Woods to step up for the offense. Marrone is hopeful that Woods can step up and play with a chip on his shoulder. The wide receiver played well in his rookie season, but Buffalo wants more.
"We know Robert can play three positions for us. We're just trying to figure out what's the best combination that we have out there," Marrone said, via ESPN.com's Mike Rodak. "When Robert first came to camp, he didn't do that. Not to say he was complacent or not, but I told Robert today, when he plays with that little chip on his shoulder, he's a darn good football player. I said, we need to see you play more with a chip on your shoulder every single day, and I think you'll see that same result as you saw in the game and today."
