This is probably the worst Q&A we have had since I decided to whore out traffic hits for a profile on Doug Legursky that probably made the Steelers blogger think "WHY ON EARTH IS THIS JACKASS EMAILING ME ABOUT THIS GUY?"
However, this is our new starting QB…Thad Lewis..UGH!
Well, it is what is, right? So, let's find out what we got here. We got Peter Smith from Dawg Pound Daily to give the lowdown on Thad Lewis' one game in Cleveland. Have fun and tell a friend the season is over.
1) In the one game you saw Lewis play last year, what were his strengths and weaknesses?
Lewis is extremely decisive with the football. He gets rid of the ball quickly and he will move an offense as he wastes little time in the pocket. His arm is solid and he can make a nice array of the throws while being decently mobile. The problem was he was so decisive, it seemed he was always going to his first read and making a lot of his reads before the snap, so when he was right, it looked good. The times he was wrong, a defender was either BE undercutting the route or he was throwing it into trouble. So, Lewis would look effective for a while and then get fans thinking, "This guy looks pretty good. What's wrong with him?" Then he will throw a bad looking interception to the tune of a universally disappointed "Oh."
2) What sort of offense would you suits his talents? The Bills run a no-huddle, 3-WR offense. Does that fit him?
The style of offense is not going to matter too much. Whatever it is, he will get the ball out fast. That actually might work really well if the Bills stay with the no huddle approach and the play calling keeps the defense off balance. In that situation, his quick decision making and hitting the primary read is effective. He will operate much more quickly than E.J. Manuel.
3) What kind of arm strength would you say he has?
His arm was pretty solid in terms of strength. Had pretty good zip but was not going over the top or asked to drive the ball down the field.
4) Do you think he could be a decent stop-gap QB?
He's better than Jeff Tuel. I think the Bills are still going to go as far as their running game takes him. As long as that part of the game is effective, he will be okay. If the Bills put Lewis in a position where he needs to go out and win a game, they are going to have a problem. When the defense knows the pass is coming, they will get aggressive and look to jump routes with how quickly he decides to throw the ball.
5) Do you think defenses will respect Thad's ability to throw the ball or will teams crowd the line of scrimmage and dare him to throw?
I think teams would be foolish not to make Buffalo try to throw the ball. The Bills are a team that would be content to run the ball 60 times if they could. They ran it 55 times against the Ravens. They have some talented skill players, though the injury situation with Stevie Johnson is a question mark, but they have a huge offensive line and one of the best rushing attacks in football. It almost does not matter who the quarterback is, teams have to try to load the box and stop the run. Lewis should have opportunities to make plays on early downs. If teams can put them in obvious passing situations, that could be a problem.
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