The Buffalo Bills just suffered the worst possible injury they could have endured during this preseason. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor absorbed a hit that didn't necessarily look bad initially - it wasn't helmet-to-helmet, after all. But he went down in such awkward fashion that he absorbed a head injury anyway. His night was over and the hopes and dreams of an entire fan base may have floated with him into the locker room.

Taylor goes down hard

During the first quarter of Saturday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens - less than five minutes into the contest - Taylor was feeling the pressure.

The Bills line wasn't doing a great job of protecting him, allowing Matthew Judon to reach the quarterback despite his best scrambling efforts. When Taylor went down, it almost looked like his neck snapped a little bit, with his head cushioning the blow. Trainers had to meet him out on the field after it took several moments for him to get to his feet.

Prior to the injury, Taylor didn't really have much time to find a rhythm. He completed just one of three passes for one yard. He was put into the concussion protocol almost immediately and ruled out for the game.

The concussion protocol is a fickle thing since head injuries affect players differently. Taylor could be good to go by the start of the regular season (he probably won't play next week regardless) - or the Bills could be without their starting quarterback for months.

How the Bills will cope

Earlier in the preseason - before the team dealt away some of their most important players - they traded backup quarterback Cardale Jones to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Since then, the Bills have hosted a competition to see who would back up Taylor this season, with the main competitors being veteran T.J. Yates and fifth-round rookie draft pick Nathan Peterman.

Judging by who came into the game to work with the starters in the immediate wake of Taylor's injury, it would appear Peterman currently has the upper hand.

He wasn't particularly impressive in relief, however, completing 11-of-23 passes for just 93 yards. Yates wasn't any better later in the game, going 8-for-15 with 102 yards, but adding an interception to the mix. Without their starting quarterback, the Bills are in a bad place. One thing's for sure: the rumors sending Colin Kaepernick to Buffalo are going to heat up everyday Taylor is on the sidelines instead of on the football field.
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