E.J. Manuel is out for the rest of the preseason following knee surgery, but let's not forget about him. He looked awfully good when he was out there, and that looks like a passer-friendly offense.
Granted, most of Manuel's completions have been of the short, safe variety. But he's been moving the offense, and he's been working without his No. 1 receiver (Stevie Johnson is being careful with a hamstring).
Compare, for example, Manuel's preseason production against the other big five rookie quarterbacks of the last two years -- Newton, Dalton, Luck, RG3 and Wilson. Manuel has a better passer rating and has completed a higher percentage of his throws.
| Quarterback | Comp | Att | Pct. | Yds | TD | Int | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E.J. Manuel | 26 | 33 | 78.8% | 199 | 2 | 0 | 112.0 |
| Russell Wilson | 40 | 63 | 63.5% | 536 | 5 | 1 | 110.3 |
| Robert Griffin III | 20 | 31 | 64.5% | 193 | 2 | 0 | 103.3 |
| Andrew Luck | 41 | 66 | 62.1% | 522 | 3 | 2 | 89.3 |
| Andy Dalton | 20 | 44 | 45.5% | 245 | 1 | 0 | 70.7 |
| Cam Newton | 24 | 57 | 42.1% | 300 | 1 | 0 | 64.9 |
It looks like the Bills have hit on this pick, and Manuel is a name to keep in mind, particularly in dynasty drafts. Buffalo seems to be on the way up.
--Ian Allan