twoandfourteen

I can't believe I'm actually going to suggest this, but after reading all of this crap and thinking about it.... Fitzy might be the best guy to bring in here to work with both Peterman and the new kid they draft in April. He's on a 1 year deal with Tampa Bay, so won't cost anything to sign him as a FA. The guy definitely has the football IQ down and had a bit of "gunslinger" in him. He just didn't have all of the physical tools to successfully execute what he was seeing. His numbers were actually ok for a backup, 1103 yards/7TDs/3INTs/86.0 QBR and averaged 183.8 yards per game in 6 games, 3 as the starter (2-1).

He is. Well, at least it starts there. The other stuff is a result of his inability to play QB in a modern passing offense. Go ask Marquise Goodwin or Robert Woods.

That's exactly why we are all arguing about this right now. ...And it's not exactly a ringing endorsement of Tyrod Taylor's abilities as a starting QB. Congratulations on being better than Brian McClure (rd12/1986), Matt Rodgers (rd12/1992), Todd Collins (rd2/1995), JP Losman (rd1/2004), Trent Edwards (rd3/2007), Levi Brown (rd7/2010), EJ Manuel (rd1/2013), and Cardale Jones (rd4/2016). Yikes. Looks even worse when you see it all in one place like that. "30 years of excellence", my friends.

Game will look really good.

A direct result of blocking for a QB that takes too long to recognize the defensive coverage and to get rid of the football. Taylor's reliance on his mobility is also detrimental to the offensive line, because they don't know where he will end up going throughout the play. But do continue to make excuses for the guy.

This is absolutely correct. I should have included that -- good point.

This is exactly the group Tyrod belongs in: career backups who become fringe starters out of desperation when there are no other options. However, no one defends these guys or proclaims them to be "elite" by any measure. They are punchlines, just as you have intended to use them here. I watched one game with Osweiler this year. The guy was not good. However, even he was making certain throws that Taylor has NEVER shown any acumen for. Taylor is just smarter with the football and understands how to work within his own limitations overall better than the group of clowns you listed. I don't know much about the "intangible" side of things with that group, but I would imagine that Taylor is far and away superior on that front as far as that is concerned.

Since the QB position is by far the most important on the field, you are correct -- Taylor has been an important part, but only by default. His main contribution has been defined by not doing things: not throwing INTs and not scoring TDs. For example, the offense hasn't had a meaningful 2nd half TD since October. His running ability is one of the most overrated things in sports. If I'm a defensive coordinator, I'll gladly concede 50-60 rushing yards to the QB if it means he'll only throw for 140 or 160. Much better to give up 180-200 total yards than face the prospect of allowing 275-300+ to an actual "decent" QB. His rushing is just a more inefficient way to move the ball downfield. It's great if you've got a guy who can throw -- but when it's your QB's main weapon, it's a recipe for lots of punts and FGs, as we've seen.

Excellent post -- well done.

This is actually what I am arguing. Taylor is not a 15-25 QB. He's actually more of a 30-35 QB: a barely functional starter, but would be an absolutely invaluable asset as a #2 for a contender with an actual QB. If you need someone to hold down the fort for 2-4 games, then Taylor is THE guy. But for 16 games? Forget it. The Bills are in this position 100% despite the play of Tyrod Taylor. With an even marginally competent passing offense, they would most likely already have a playoff spot locked up.

Well color me "surprised". Totally had you pegged as a Jauron-Ball kind of guy. You're being deliberately obtuse here. I, along with the other anti-Taylor's, would be ecstatic if the guy would consistently hit a receiver in stride or maybe had the passing offense ranked somewhere in the mid-teens rather than dead last. It's not exactly a high bar for performance around here, and Taylor has somehow managed to lower those expectations even further by making Kyle Orton look like Peyton Manning.

1. He's not the worst to ever play the game. Just one of the worst currently playing the game. 2. Can't think of one game. Maybe the Dolphins game a week ago? Care to elaborate? 3. That's why he took a pay cut to come back to Buffalo, right? So many options out there!

Maybe they play like that due to an inability of the QB to consistently generate any sort of offense, so the only option is to try and run out the clock. Ever consider that?

That's fair, I agree that the Patriots can be a bit of a tough bar to clear. How about the Chiefs, then? Well.... they've punted the ball away 15 times less than the Bills have. Steelers? Same thing, 15 less than the Bills. Rams? 58 punts to the Bills 75. Maybe the Falcons? They actually lead the league in fewest punts at only 48. The point is that there is WAY too much focus on how rarely Tyrod has thrown INTs as a starter. How about looking at how rarely the offense scores a TD with him as the QB? That to me is a much more important statistic.

You are a big "need to run and stop the run" kind of guy, I'd imagine. Field position! Three yards and a cloud of dust! Not turning the ball over is great -- except when you punt the ball away 25 times more throughout the year than a team like the Patriots. Let's say it again for the kids in the back: The Bills have given the ball away to their opponent 25 times more than the Patriots. A punt is just a less dramatic turnover. The end result is the same, the other team has the ball and you don't.

You're apparently not. Taylor's production with Woods & Watkins was good. It was never elite. Nothing about Tyrod's game is/was/has ever been elite.

Relative to other "stud" WRs, 60 catches isn't exactly "great" either. Odell's numbers: 91-1305-12, 96-1450-13, 101-1376-10. As a side note, in only 4 games this year OBJ's stat line is 25-302-3 on 41 targets from a starting QB who was also benched this season. Zay Jones, Jordan Matthews, and Deonte Thompson also have 25 receptions.

I actually really like Tyrod. I think he's the consummate professional athlete, not to mention easily one of the most stylish guys around. It's unfortunate that there is very little in his game that impresses me. Pointing out that he is the QB of the worst passing offense in football is not "nitpicking". Also, bringing up Tom Brady is beyond ridiculous. For every one pass Tommy Boy misses, there are at least a dozen that are on the money, perfect throws. Taylor doesn't even play the same sport as Tom Brady. I am a firm believer that the play calling is severely hindered by having a bottom 3 starting QB running the show.

He is. The Bills have the 32nd ranked passing offense in the league. Taylor is statistically the worst starting QB in football when it comes to throwing the football. An offense specifically suited to Taylor is the exact opposite of what is successful in the modern NFL. Professional defenses are too fast, too strong. So, you could design an offense around his strengths -- lots of read option, designed QB runs, and even fewer passing attempts. You would also lose every game by three touchdowns. You could probably make a run at the Section VI AA title, though.

The fastest and most effective way of fixing the offensive line is to get a QB that can read a defense pre-snap, make a decision, and deliver the ball quickly and accurately to the receiver. If the ball is consistently gone in under 3 seconds, the incoming pass rush generally doesn't matter. Tyrod actually makes offensive lines look worse than they really are because of his shortcomings as a passer and his "wheels". Lineman are under pressure to block longer and also they are never really sure where the QB is going to be or where the play is going.

I agree, both guys are in the same group -- the delusional "We can win with this guy" tier. However, the question was who was better for the Bills in the drought-era? To me, it came down to the two primary responsibility for a QB -- throwing the football and running a functional offense. Fitzpatrick is a much better passer than Tyrod, so to me, he gets the edge. He was at least capable of bringing a team back from behind once in awhile. He went throw-for-throw with Brady once, which is one time more than Taylor. Fitzpatrick's fatal flaw was too many turnovers. Tyrod's fatal flaw is an inability to play the position at the most fundamental level.

Preach! It must be awesome to be a Rams fan right about now.

3000 yards in 13 games in 2010, 3800 yards in 2011. Averaged 230 per game in 2010 & 2011. Had 7 300+ yard passing days in 4 years. Brought the Bills back from down 21-0 against the Patriots, threw for 369 yards and 2 TDs in that game. However, he did have a LOADED WR corps of Stevie Johnson, Donald Jones, Brad Smith, David Nelson, and Naaman Roosevelt. Also, Scott Chandler at TE. Imagine if Tyrod had weapons like THAT.

Yes, sarcasm.