If Buffalo Bills fans only judged the team by their first offense performance against the Philadelphia Eagles last night, there was much to be disappointed in. A 12.0 QB rating for Tyrod Taylor and two interceptions tops the list. However, for the second preseason game in a row, rookie QB Nate Peterman looked impressive. His two-minute drill in the first half showed why is of starting caliber. The Nate Peterman-Zay Jones connection is heating up fast. Here is the lowdown on Peterman’s game.
Putting the ball on the money
For most of his time on the field, Peterman made all the right throws and ended up going 10 out of 20 for 167 yards, as stated by the Bills Wire.
With 47 seconds left in the first half, Peterman led Buffalo down the field quickly. Great receptions by newly drafted wide receiver Zay Zones helped keep the chains moving. Peterman hit Jones on a tightly fitted ball on the sideline. He also found Jones again with a few seconds left in the corner of the end zone. A perfectly thrown ball, Jones came close to scoring a touchdown, but could not get his right foot inbounds. The Bills settled for a Stephen Hauschka field goal, but the drive was still impressive.
A quick release
Peterman made a few mistakes with some overthrown passes. However, his quick release of the football is what you want in a Bill’s quarterback. A fast decision maker, he had made throws in the middle of the field, the sidelines, and in the corner of the endzone.
This is nothing new for Peterman. In his college days as a Pitt Panther, he beat the Clemson Tigers in a 43-42 win. Passing for over 300 yards, as stated by the Buffalo News, Peterman tossed 5 touchdowns in the game. The quarterback also put up some stellar numbers at Pitt. He passed for over 5,000 yards during his time as a Panther and threw for 47 touchdowns.
Taking off running
In both preseason games with Buffalo, Peterman showed his running ability. To keep drives alive, he has used his legs to get first downs. While he is not as speedy as Tyrod Taylor, Peterman does not have be. He has already shown that he can makes the easy and hard throws. The question is how he will respond to a first team defense.
Out of all three quarterbacks, Peterman was the best of the evening. T.J. Yates did lead the third string offense down the field to try and rally against the Eagles. However, his interception on the last play of the game sealed the deal, as Buffalo lost their second preseason game 20-16.
Can Peterman pull off another solid preseason performance? Buffalo takes on the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 26.
