The Buffalo Bills’ opening series against the Philadelphia Eagles’ defense is something that is easily forgettable. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor tossed a bad interception, had a pass batted down in the air, and was 0-for-4 on his initial series. His 12.0 rating for the game, as reported by ESPN, raises some concern about his confidence and how the Sammy Watkins loss has affected the team. Can Buffalo get it together by their season opener?
Lack of rhythm for offense
Buffalo’s first-string offense had problems moving the ball down the field. They could not seem to find their rhythm.
While Buffalo fans must have loved seeing former Bill Ronald Darby slide to the ground, as LeSean McCoy raced past him for a first down, McCoy was the only highlight for the first-team offense. Darby found a way for Buffalo to pay, as he picked off one of Taylor’s passes later in the game. 18 total penalties for the evening also did not help the team. However, the main offense did not help themselves either because, for most of the night, they looked like a massive train wreck.
Loss of Watkins stings
The loss of Sammy Watkins is evident. Quarterbacks spend a lot of time during the offseason trying to develop chemistry with their wide receivers. Fans could see that the chemistry is not there yet for Andre Holmes, Anquan Boldin, and Zay Jones.
In Taylor’s defense, these are all new receivers for Buffalo. For Boldin, it was his first game as a Buffalo Bill. Jordan Matthews, who the team got in the Darby trade, was not playing last night due to an injured sternum. Perhaps, he can be the difference maker when he and Taylor are on the field together. The 12.0 QB rating for Taylor is the worst of his NFL career.
It may be too early for full-blown panic since it was only a preseason game, but there is some cause for concern.
Nate Peterman impresses again
For as bad as Taylor played, Buffalo fans should be hopeful about rookie quarterback Nate Peterman. He looked much sharper than Taylor. He led a 2-minute offense at the end of the first half, which led them right into the red zone.
With only 47 seconds left to work with, Peterman connected with Zay Jones numerous times. Jones made a great sideline catch and almost kept his second foot inbounds on the right side of the end zone for a touchdown catch. If Peterman keeps playing the way he is and shows that he can handle himself against first string defenses, he could steal the starting role from Tyrod Taylor.
Buffalo ended up losing up the game 20-16. They take on the Baltimore Ravens next Saturday in their third preseason match-up where Tyrod Taylor has another chance to show he can lead the Buffalo Bills.
