The move was made, Taylor was benched, and the Buffalo Bills traveled to LA last Sunday to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. The excitement (and consequent nerves) ran very high, but all of that was crashed down by halftime. In fact, it was crashed down well before that: try the 1st quarter. Peterman floundered in his debut, throwing for just 66 yards and 5 INT’s. In his defense, he was given hell by Joey Bosa all day (who ran circles around RT Jordan Mills, but that’s a rant for another day). The following Wednesday, coach Sean McDermott has elected to turn back to Tyrod Taylor. What’s this mean for the Bills going forward? What is the lockerroom feeling? Is McDermott losing this team?

How Bad The Move Looks Now:

Sean McDermott came out last Wednesday and made the announcement to start Peterman. He stated that it “I am here for better than 5-4,” and “I’m always evaluating to make this team better.” The move backfired, and now that he’s gone back to Tyrod Taylor, does this change look even worse? In my eyes, yes. It does. I have a lot of respect for coach Sean McDermott, and I thought all week he would stick to his guns, stick his chin out, and put out Peterman for a 2nd straight week. Despite the defense getting torn up for 54 points against LA, 31 of them came off turnovers from the offense. Peterman coughed up 5. With Tyrod back in, that makes last week look like a desperation move just to try and spark the team, and overall it became a wasted week with the move looking extremely poor.

Positives Of The Move Back To TT:

On the positive side though, Sean McDermott, despite the backfiring of the move, wasn’t scared to go back to Tyrod. To some it may seem like he gave in to the pressure, but for me it means he is admitting he was wrong. He truly does want to give this team the best chance to win, and they have the opportunity to do so with Tyrod back at the helm. He tried something out, it didn’t work, and he bit the dust on it and put Tyrod back in. That’s very respectable of a head coach, when in most situations their ego will be too big to admit defeat. McDermott is still working towards something here, and we just have to be patient.

McDermott Is Still Trying To Win:

Say what you will. The fans and analysts both think that putting Peterman in was an effort to throw the season away and tank. Now that he’s gone back to TT, I completely disagree. McDermott still wants to win this season. We know what TT is, and despite his deficiences, gives the Bills the best shot at winning. Peterman got harrassed all day by Joey Bosa, but he threw the ball when he shouldve thrown it away or taken a sack. Those are tough rookie mistakes, but he will certainly learn from them. Even Alex Smith in his first start went 9/23 for 74 yards, 4 INTs, and 5 sacks. It happens. For now though, it’s time to try to get back on the winning track, and the best way to do so is Tyrod Taylor. At the very least, Tyrod won’t turn the ball over and make things worse.

The Lockerroom Is Unaffected:

For some reason, many people think that there’s always some sort of underlying turmoil for the players in the lockerroom whenever a big decision is made. These guys are professional athletes. They’re working, and they’re human. They have a strong bond, love each other, and will fight for each other every single Sunday. The team may have been shocked at the move to bench TT, but let’s face it; the WR’s were getting upset with Tyrod not giving them the ball all season. Now that Peterman struggled and Tyrod’s back in, I think they’ll be more than happy to have Tyrod back. These guys aren’t as shaken by moves as many think.

Fire Lit Under Tyrod?:

Tyrod Taylor was interviewed after hearing word he would be starting, and he had this to say, “This makes the chip on my shoulder even bigger.” Tyrod knows this team has messed with him. He knows that quite simply, the staff doesn’t like him as a QB for their future offense. With that said, Taylor still gave everything he had against the Chargers in his 2nd half garbage time. He has given his all for this team, and maybe, just maybe, the move to Peterman didn’t spark the offense, but instead it sparked Tyrod. He took more risks against the Chargers, and looked pretty accurate too. I don’t think Tyrod will turn into a worldbeater, but all we need from him is to let the ball fly. These are going to be his last 6 games in Buffalo, he might as well make them count and go out with a bang.

Overall, despite the entire debacle of Nathan Peterman, coach McDermott and the firestorm between media and fans, this might turn out okay. Tyrod is back, the Peterman flame is no longer a raging fire, and now all external noise should be quieted down. The team is 5-5. This is the time for a run, and Tyrod Taylor can lead it. Matthews, Benjamin, McCoy, and Clay are all readily available. Let it fly, Tyrod. PS…defense, get it together!  Thanks for reading, and as always, Let’s Go Buffalo!