Buffalo Bills smart to play rookie QB Nathan Peterman
Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott is making the decisions other coaches are afraid to
Far too often NFL teams will settle for mediocrity and fail to test their young players thanks to criticism and fear of organizational retaliation. For Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott the criticism won’t get in the way of progress and carrying the franchise past this season.
McDermott’s decision to bench quarterback Tyrod Taylor in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman has been met with mixed reviews. Some look at a franchise in the midst of a playoff drought going back to 1999 and without a playoff win in 22 years and wonder why a 5-4 team makes this type of move. Others see the forward thinking and honesty being displayed and appreciate McDermott for making a move with his brain and not necessarily his heart.
Buffalo sits two games behind the Patriots for the AFC East title, one that is unlikely to leave New England. If the regular season ended today they’d be the six-seed in the AFC thanks to a second Wild Card being implemented. They’d play the Chiefs in Kansas City against McDermott’s mentor Andy Reid, and will be the underdogs from day one.
Finishing as the six-seed isn’t even a lock for the Bills with four teams just one win behind them in the AFC.
More from NFL Hot Takes
- 4 promising first-round receivers to watch in NFL preseason Week 3
- Should Trey Lance be considered an NFL draft bust?
- Jonathan Taylor trade rumors: 3 most alluring fits for Colts star running back
- Falcons rookie Bijan Robinson might be the RB1 in Fantasy Football
- The rise of C.J. Stroud; No. 2 overall pick ready to lead Texans?
Buffalo is sacrificing the potential of limping into the playoffs as a mediocre team with the hopes of learning what they have in a quarterback they invested in.
What McDermott is doing with Peterman, who absolutely has the tools required to play in the NFL, is what the New York Jets have failed to do. Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty deserved a chance to play this year instead of a career backup in his late-30s. All for what at this point? Another mid-round draft pick after falling two games short of the playoffs? Having to make a decision on draft day whether or not to draft a quarterback after spending a second and third round pick on quarterbacks? Play and develop the quarterbacks you have before reaching for another lottery ticket.
That’s what McDermott and the Bills have realized with a multitude of early draft picks and a team not ready to win a Super Bowl this year. They know the success of a franchise isn’t defined by the number of franchise wins, it’s the number of Super Bowl trophies in their case.
Next: 2017 NFL Draft QB’s: Can Nathan Peterman be this years Dak Prescott?
McDermott knows he has an opportunity to bring the Bills back to not just championship contention, but relevancy in the league. He’s building the franchise from the ground up, and that means playing the rookie quarterback when the mediocre veteran with a hefty contract is playing at the league average. Buffalo won’t settle for average.