When rookie quarterback EJ Manuel returns as Buffalo's starting quarterback Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bills believe he will be smarter outside of the pocket. "What you have is a young player that's still learning and what you'll see the next time, is someone who's going to be a lot smarter and making the right decisions on when to go down and when to go out of bounds without jeopardizing the win," coach Doug Marrone said, per the team's official website. Marrone said knowing when to sell out to get an extra yard and when to play it safe is a learning process for young quarterbacks. "I think that's what it is," he said. "It's very difficult. Just like when it happened, and everyone was trying to say do you teach the quarterback-obviously we teach him. What I was trying to express at that time was that these players are so competitive and there's a fine line between being very, very competitive and then for someone in that position just to be smart. I think he'll be better -- he'd better be better. And I do feel confident in that, I really do." Source: NFL.com SteveRobWhatever's Take: Manuel was playing well before the injury. This week he faces a Steelers in desperation mode. Their defense has been exposed this year. The Steelers have struggled against the run, with the second-highest totals in the league this season in rush attempts, yards and touchdowns. That has led to some poor fundamentals on defense, leaving the Bills plenty of opportunities to capitalize with big plays. Manuel will have opportunities to make plays with his arm and legs against them, but he need to be smart about how and when he puts the ball down and runs with it.
