transplantbillsfan

Interesting take. Without Taylor, how does Clay get the football? Particularly on that long bomb with Taylor on the run from a collapsed pocket chucking the ball 50 yards in the air while rolling to his right?

I think people need to start second-guessing this. It's like the general assumption is that if you have a great passing QB, any coach will automatically call a pass-centric offense. I just don't think that's true. Defensive coaches want to run the football to control the clock and they want to protect the football. It's a cliché because it's generally very true and I think that much became very clear when McDermott just decided to run run run once we got the lead. One, I suppose, could argue that he did it because he didn't trust his QB enough to move. For those saying it, the proof is in the choice itself. But I think if you watch the way Taylor is throwing the football while protecting it, you'd realize that's probably not the case, or at least certainly not most of the case. Taylor has been making some really big-time throws this year and seems quite capable of moving the football through the air. I really think saying he's one of the 5 best QBs so far in 2017 is a little far out there simply because of the amount other QBs are throwing the football. But I do think Taylor is really pretty relevant and critical to McDermott and all these wins and saying Taylor is a top 10 QB in 2017 so far is quite reasonable.

We had hot starts in 2008 and 2011, so I'm hindsight might be 20/20, but this just feels different. McDermott is that difference... and it's huge! There are things that still frustrate me a bit. Every time Shady breaks a long run since the Jets game, the play gets called back for holding. I wonder if the long run is really because of the hold or if it's just a stroke of bad luck? I seriously get very frustrated by the extremely conservative offensive playcalling once we get the lead. And that's not me saying they should just have Taylor sling it all over the field just because. It's more that I think Buffalo changes its offensive identity once it gets the lead. I don't like that, even though I get it. I just think that as great as our defense has been, something's gonna give one of these weeks. I think we had opportunities to put the Falcons away, but we kept it close maybe unnecessarily. Hauschka!!!! I actually thought the right call on his last field goal was to punt it, but boy was I wrong! I hope Jones can get out of his head. Is the stage too big for him? Too bad because it's clear he can get open and that Taylor can and wants to get him the ball, but he's just not holding on. Get that boy some Stick-em!!! Our secondary is really, really good. Jerry Hughes is really, really good. Kyle is still really, really good!!! This is fun Completely agree with you here. I can't exactly fault McDermott because it's been working. I just don't think it's always going to work. Awesome if it does, though

But it's a big part of the equation because it determines how you approach the draft. If he sucks the rest of the year, it's easy to take a chance on a 1st round QB. But if Taylor keeps playing well and we make *gasp* the playoffs, the coaches are absolutely going to scrutinize the idea of drafting a QB in the 1st vs using all those draft picks we have to massively upgrade the team. So really Taylor's play absolutely will pretty seriously influence our decision to draft a QB in the 1st.

You really can't say this at this point. What if a QB McBeane values highly isn't on the board? I know this is what you've been arguing since the start of the season, but if the season progresses as it has so far, there's no chance we're in "draft a 1st round QB at any cost!" mode.

It was someone we likely won't hear from very much until we lose.

Except he's the one who wanted TT in the first place.

That's what I thought was happening. It was a 4 game suspension, right? Oddly enough, Powell might be the guy Taylor's most comfortable with.

People are idiots

Taylor's game was definitely good, but last week was clearly better.

Yeah this week Taylor missed a couple throws/plays he should have made. But he also had a few drops... AGAIN!!! Jones needs to get out of his own head.

So... who still thinks this team is tanking and devoid of talent?

I like bread

We need to be 8-1? Seriously?

Crusher, why do you let people on a message board get under your skin like this? Just ignore Jm if what he says bothers you this much. Don't worry, you can post freely and negatively about Taylor in less than 24 hours. That was meant in the friendliest of manners.

https://www.milehighreport.com/2017/9/30/16388958/tale-of-the-tape-what-happened-in-buffalo In case anyone is looking at a nice break down of over half of Taylor's passing yards, which came on 4 plays, here's a nice break down from Denver's perspective. I think it really establishes that Dennison came in with a really good offense of game plan.

Is this meant to imply that Taylor's QBR is deceiving and that he actually sucks? J/K

Wait, is that what you think you had to do if you bet the under and a loss? That you had to wish or root for them to lose or Taylor to throw under 200 yards just so you win a very friendly bet where your consequence for "losing" would simply be to say good things about your team that just won and your QB who just exceeded your expectations? Really? You were so unshakable in your confidence in Buffalo losing to Denver and Taylor failing that I just thought this was an opportunity for you to be definitively right about something and not just play the victim or be a paper tiger the way you are here in this thread.

Ironic he was so confident the Bills would get blown out but refused a simple, friendly bet. https://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/196527-bills-w-taylor-200-yards-a-fun-tbd-bet-this-gloomy-week/page-8?do=findComment&comment=4563886

Aren't you a season ticket holder? Not enthusiastic about the home win, huh? What do you do, sit on your hands moaning the whole time you're watching the game, win or loss?

Remember all the smack you were talking last week leading into the Broncos game? Too bad you refused to put your money (so to speak) where your mouth is and participate in the ">200 yards & W" bet that even Crusher and old school were willing to participate in. Do you seriously just always have to be this negative about the team and Taylor that you couldn't stand a fun little bet of being positive for a week? You speak so concretely about everything... are you just a paper tiger? You've said a number of times this team stands no chance of making the playoffs with Taylor at QB. Do you still feel that way?

Depends on what he's doing with those completions and attempts

Sounds about right I'd say. For now... It's convenient the way you do this. And you do it a lot. It's about how they're playing right now. This season. That PFF figure isn't recognizing Taylor as the 3rd best QB in all of the NFL. It's saying that through 3 games, they grade him as having the 3rd best (by their standards) this season, through only 3 games. Why is it so hard to understand that saying Taylor is playing better than Wilson or Rivers right now doesn't equal saying he's a better QB?

Taylor's 3rd down conversion % on 3rd down passes is 42.3% (guess you ignored my post above) and he's just about middle of the pack in the NFL. But that number is actually an improvement over the last 2 years.

This is what I think happened. But still, Jones was so wide open that you have to call it in unforced error. But regardless, that wasn't an easy throw. Also, on the one unforced error play mentioned in the OP, I remember Taylor seeming really upset at Clay on that. Really upset. Like upset because he expected Clay to cut back inside or something. Anyone else? Holy crap! I completely forgot that we get Henderson and Powell back after Atlanta. I actually think that will help the team a bit.