Following two poor games from the Buffalo Bills quarterback, fans seem to have decided that draft pick Nathan Peterman might be a better option at quarterback than Tyrod Taylor. Sean McDermott plans to stick with Tyrod Taylor, and he admitted that in a press conference. It’s understandable, given that the Bills are 5-4 and still in 6th place in the AFC, but how much of Buffalo’s success is really due to Tyrod Taylor?
The rushing attack
In five wins this season, the Bills have surpassed three hundred yards passing exactly zero times. In those wins, LeSean McCoy has rushed for an average of 89.8 yards per game.
In the losses? LeSean McCoy has averaged just 36.5 yards in each game. When McCoy is able to run the ball, the Bills offense can operate. When he can’t? Then the Bills are left with Tyrod Taylor, who has been reluctant to throw the ball downfield in losses and seems content to complete two yard passes to his running backs on 3rd and 8.
Staying in the pocket too long
Another knock on Taylor is that he holds the ball in the pocket for far too long. Any Bills fan will tell you that this is true, as he often takes unnecessary sacks instead of throwing the ball away. Tyrod’s ability to escape is nice, but his decision making is questionable because of it. Tyrod can’t and won’t always escape sacks, and it can lead to some big plays for opposing defenses if he isn’t careful.
He needs to improve upon his decision making if the Bills are going to beat the Chargers on Sunday.
Nathan Peterman’s strengths
There were calls prior to the start of the 2017 season for Nathan Peterman to be the starter, but McDermott trusted Tyrod and was rewarded with a 5-2 start. Those calls originally came about as a result of Peterman’s strong play during a preseason in which he actually pushed the ball downfield and was accurate.
In fact, Peterman can be considered a quarterback who is quite the opposite of Taylor. He is more accurate, gets the ball out faster, and doesn’t waste time in the pocket. He doesn’t have the same escapability as Taylor and certainly not the same rushing ability, but he represents a different option that the Bills may turn to if Taylor does continue to struggle.
Even Kelvin Benjamin, who recently joined the team, was impressed with Peterman's poise as a rookie.
Following Sunday's loss to the Saints, #Bills WR Kelvin Benjamin said bc of Nathan Peterman's play, he didn't even realize it was his first game. Here's more: https://t.co/RDGH7v2V1H
— Nick Wojton (@Nick_Wojton) November 14, 2017
If Taylor struggles against the Chargers on Sunday, Benjamin might be catching passes from Peterman instead of Taylor in week 12.
Looking ahead
Next week, the Buffalo Bills take on a formidable LA Chargers teams with a tough pass rush. Tyrod will likely have his hands full and if he can’t show an ability to make accurate throws under pressure, the Bills may have no choice but to turn to quarterback Nathan Peterman for the rest of the year. Because right now, 56 passing yards (against the Saints) is not going to win games in the NFL.
