List of Bills QBs during the Desolation

[TBBills]

The pain is over!!!! 

[MJS]

Didn't really get so bad until 2005...

[dollars 2 donuts]

1 hour ago, machine gun kelly said:

Donuts, I’m more of a Flutie guy than most.  He gave us some glimmer of hope when it was clear Collins and Van Pelt weren’t going to do it.  He also came in when RJ was 0-3 and won us a bunch of games.

 

I know he was only going to take us so far, but still reminisce that if he was in against TN, if we could’ve beaten them.  That defense was #1, and they made it to the SB.

 

Im not sure the intentions of again reminiscing the drought years.  Sometimes I question intentions here. I’ll take foreboding at his word he just maybe wants us to remember how special it is to have Allen.  Glass half full.

 

 

Nicely said, Guns.

 

A man who is among the top QBs in this Franchise's history (8th in TD passes and yards thrown...30 games, mind you, and highest career winning percentage for any Bills QB starting at least 16 games) deserves to be around a bit more and get a bit more praise.

Edited August 3, 2021 by dollars 2 donuts

[billsfanmiamioh]

3 hours ago, 17islongenough said:

I'm so happy that I was able to attend Jeff Tuels only career start

Same 😂

[Rico]

2 hours ago, Buftex said:

Nobody remembers Thad Lewis?  I was so battered by Bills football at the time, for a few weeks there, when he started, I thought "finally the Bills strike gold"!

 

Thad Lewis looked better at QB than EJ ever did.

[Just in Atlanta]

2013

Just look at that list. 

[Steve O]

3 hours ago, Damian said:

Did Billy Joe Hobert ever play?

 

2 hours ago, Kwai San said:

 

He did mop up duty once and it was discovered he never even opened the playbook.

 

Not exactly mop up duty, Collins was injured in the first quarter and Hobert played the rest of the game clueless. Admitted to not studying the playbook on Monday,. released on Wednesday

 

3 hours ago, P Riv said:

 

As I recall the running joke during that period.... Which QB had the most home wins in Buffalo?  Tom Brady..... 🤪

Not really a joke, Brady had the most wins in Buffalo between 2001 and 2019

[Just in Atlanta]

My attempt at a ranking, best to worst:

1. Drew Bledsoe
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick
3. Doug Flutie
4. Tyrod Taylor
5. Rob Johnson
6. Trent Edwards
7. JP Losman
8. Kyle Orton
9. Thad Lewis
10. Jeff Tuel
11. Kelly Holcomb
12. Brian Brohm
13. EJ Manuel
    ...
    ...
    ...

   126. Nathan Peterman

 

The dark days are over my friends.

(Sorry, don't remember the likes of Todd Collins or Alex Van Pelt.)

 

[bigK14094]

Kelly Holcomb?

[JLO]

Can the playoff years of '98 and '99 be considered Desolation? They did make the playoffs and had a QB (Flutie) who was somewhat of a media darling at the time.

[Kwai San]

24 minutes ago, Steve O said:

Not exactly mop up duty, Collins was injured in the first quarter and Hobert played the rest of the game clueless. Admitted to not studying the playbook on Monday,. released on Wednesday

 

Thanks for the correction, I totally forgot it was an injury replacement early in the game......It was AVP who "mopped" up I believe.  They threw for some crazy number of picks too.....3-4?  I gotta google it....

[machine gun kelly]

15 minutes ago, JLO said:

Can the playoff years of '98 and '99 be considered Desolation? They did make the playoffs and had a QB (Flutie) who was somewhat of a media darling at the time.

That’s not part of the drought. There was still hope at that time.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

4 hours ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

My favorite Jeff Tuel memory was someone handing him a mechanical pencil to sign an autograph with at a preseason game. He said “Uh. This is a pencil.”

 

Pretty much the highlight of this entire list.

How dare you!  Drew Bledsoe towers above most others listed; a veritable statue of a QB.  Ran like one, too.

[Artful Dodger]

I have to think things would have been different if the Bills had the sense to start Gibran Hamdan, the best Pakistani QB in NFL history, back in 2008.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Artful Dodger

[JLO]

6 minutes ago, machine gun kelly said:

That’s not part of the drought. There was still hope at that time.

Right so the Desolation begins, in my mind, the Tom Donohoe era forward

[st pete gogolak]

1 hour ago, RobbRiddick said:

This is it. Sure, tanking is no sure fix, but we were always 6-10, 7-9, that sort of thing. 

 

For me the worst part of the drought was when Jauron was coach. That guy was 7-9 through and through. I remember the team getting beaten up by the pats, basically humiliated and the first thing he did in his press conference was to congratulate them and then talk about how awesome they were. I think I might have thrown something at the TV. Just a loser mentality

The Jauron years were the worst.  Four years and the offensive rankings were 30, 25, 30 and 30 or something like that.  Most amazing statistic has to be 2007 season - #30 in offense, #31 in defense, negative 109 point differential and we still go 7-9!  It was such a loser mentality.  Ultra conservative offense and wait for the other team to make a mistake, which only worked when the other team was total crap.  The Bobby April special teams, however, were truly special.  

[machine gun kelly]

8 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

How dare you!  Drew Bledsoe towers above most others listed; a veritable statue of a QB.  Ran like one, too.

How dare you bring up a veritable Druid artifact like Stonehenge!

 

 

[mbs]

As a fan, I can't help but feel bad for each and every one of these potential Joe Montanas who endured a substandard left or right guard, a lack of talent at slot receiver, predictable play calling, a weak running game, and/or no help from their defense.

[Blainorama5]

Always imagined EJ Manuel doing that SNL Stuart Smalley skit...  "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough and gosh darn it people like...  wait, wha?  No they don't!"

[Weatherman]

1 hour ago, Just in Atlanta said:

My attempt at a ranking, best to worst:

1. Drew Bledsoe
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick
3. Doug Flutie
4. Tyrod Taylor
5. Rob Johnson
6. Trent Edwards
7. JP Losman
8. Kyle Orton
9. Thad Lewis
10. Jeff Tuel
11. Kelly Holcomb
12. Brian Brohm
13. EJ Manuel
    ...
    ...
    ...

   126. Nathan Peterman

 

The dark days are over my friends.

(Sorry, don't remember the likes of Todd Collins or Alex Van Pelt.)

 

1. Doug Flutie

2. Ryan Fitzpatrick 

3. Drew Bledsoe

4. Kyle Orton 

5. Trent Edwards (pre concussion)

6. Tyrol Taylor

7. J.P. Losman

8. Rob Johnson

9. Kelly Holcomb

10. All others are so awful you can’t differentiate.  

[foreboding]

3 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

Ferry was my first guy.  I didn’t have the pleasure of Kemp.  Not as Old as Shaw and Chandman. 😇 Just kidding guys.  You know I luv both of you guys.

 

Its funny I think Fergs was like a 56% guy and we loved him when I was a little boy.  I only remember his later years, just he was a tough son of a gun.

Me too. When I was a kid, Joe Fergie was what a QB was to me. He was pretty damn good.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

You forgot the Billy Joe’s

 

Tolliver? and Herbert 

[Rocky Landing]

6 hours ago, 17islongenough said:

I'm so happy that I was able to attend Jeff Tuels only career start

I'm still angry that I paid to see Late Nate Peterman's first start.

[RobbRiddick]

Matt Leinart could have been big here

[Shaw66]

I haven't read the list, and I don't need to. 

 

But I absolutely love "the desolation."   That's what it was.  Not the drought, it was the desolation.  Perfect. 

[foreboding]

5 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I haven't read the list, and I don't need to. 

 

But I absolutely love "the desolation."   That's what it was.  Not the drought, it was the desolation.  Perfect. 

Thanks Shaw.

It was that, for sure.

[Augie]

7 hours ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

Yeah, I really thought Edwards was going to be “the one.” He was never the same after that brutal hit in the Cards game.

 

I have tried to forget the time he was trying to run for a first down and reached out with the ball to cross the 1st down line….and it was promptly taken away from him. REALLY? What were you thinking? It’s NOT the %$#@& goal line! I’d like to think that was post-concussion. Still, I cannot unsee that… 

 

There were times he looked like the answer, then he got broken. 

 

The Brian Brohm era was special, as well. 

[Rico]

57 minutes ago, RobbRiddick said:

Matt Leinart could have been big here

I had high hopes for Vince Young.  

[Shaw66]

29 minutes ago, Rico said:

I had high hopes for Vince Young.  

Always amazed me that Vince Young and Matt Leinart were drafted 3rd and 10th in the NFL draft and BOTH played for the Bills.  Two of the more remarkable draft busts (if you consider that Leinart likely would have gone #1 if he'd entered the draft a year earlier).

 

Maybe I'm going to have read this list. 

[Punching Bag]

5 hours ago, RobbRiddick said:

This is it. Sure, tanking is no sure fix, but we were always 6-10, 7-9, that sort of thing. 

 

For me the worst part of the drought was when Jauron was coach. That guy was 7-9 through and through. I remember the team getting beaten up by the pats, basically humiliated and the first thing he did in his press conference was to congratulate them and then talk about how awesome they were. I think I might have thrown something at the TV. Just a loser mentality

 

Reminds me of some posters who never acknowledge the cheating and always have a good word for Dr. Jerkle and Mr. Hide.

[Punching Bag]

37 minutes ago, Rico said:

I had high hopes for Vince Young.  

 

So did I.  He needed a coach to get in head that he could be great if he could follow game plan.  We never had a QB/OC/HC who could do that.

 

 

[HOUSE]

I think Losman was better then Trent Edwards

 

[DJB]

10 hours ago, foreboding said:

I was trying to remember all the QBs who started for our team has had since Jim Kelly and before Josh Allen. The list was even longer than I thought, the number in parenthesis is the number of games started by said QB. Not far off from a QB per year since. Crazy and glad the desolation is over.

1997 Todd Collins (13) / Alex Van Pelt (3)

1998 Doug Flutie (10) / Rob Johnson (6)

1999 Doug Flutie (15) / Rob Johnson (1)

2000 Rob Johnson (11) / Doug Flutie (5)

2001 Alex Van Pelt (8) / Rob Johnson (8)

2002 Drew Bledsoe (16)

2003 Drew Bledsoe (16)

2004 Drew Bledsoe (16)

2005 J. P. Losman (8) / Kelly Holcomb (8)

2006 J. P. Losman (16)

2007 Trent Edwards (9) / J. P. Losman (7)

2008 Trent Edwards (14) / J. P. Losman (2)

2009 Ryan Fitzpatrick (8) / Trent Edwards (7) / Brian Brohm (1)

2010 Ryan Fitzpatrick (13) / Trent Edwards (2) / Brian Brohm (1)

2011 Ryan Fitzpatrick (16)

2012 Ryan Fitzpatrick (16)

2013 EJ Manuel (10) / Thad Lewis (5) / Jeff Tuel (1)

2014 Kyle Orton (12) / EJ Manuel (4)

2015 Tyrod Taylor (14) / EJ Manuel (2)

2016 Tyrod Taylor (15) / EJ Manuel (1)

2017 Tyrod Taylor (14) / Nathan Peterman (2)

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

Always amazed me that Vince Young and Matt Leinart were drafted 3rd and 10th in the NFL draft and BOTH played for the Bills.  Two of the more remarkable draft busts (if you consider that Leinart likely would have gone #1 if he'd entered the draft a year earlier).

 

Maybe I'm going to have read this list. 

Don't forget Matt Barkley.  He was projected #1 overall too before he decided to stay for his senior year.  

[Dablitzkrieg]

Thanos literally could have snapped his fingers, just once, but no.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

My top 4

 

1. Bledsoe - 2002 season was his second highest rated, second in yards, and highest comp % of his career.  Not only was it one of the best ever in Bills history it was a highlight for Bledsoe's career as well. He set Bills season total record for yards in 2002 only to be broken by Allen last year.    2002 season of QB play was the best during the 17 year drought.  Then it all fell apart.

2. TT - fun fact Tyrod's QB lowest rating as a Bill was 89.2 and as high as 99.4 (Jim Kelly's highest was 97.6 in 1991).  TT was QB for three years and Fitz was for four.  If you take Fitz best three years he only passed for 1000 more yards than TT.  Where Fitz beats TT handedly is in TD passes.  In Fitz's best three years he has 20 more TD passes than TT did in his three years.  TT had 16 interceptions total in 3 years.  Fitz had 23 in one season, 16 and 15 in the other two.  TT offense led the league in rushing 2 years in a row and was a top 10 scoring offense twice 

3. Fitz - as above, he scored and he turned the ball over.  Fun to watch and had some exciting wins but just too careless with the ball

4. Flutie - more urban legend than effective QB.  His best season in win total he had a QB rating of 75. The team won despite him not because of him.  That he is fourth on this list is a testament to the 13 other piles of garbage that played QB for the Bills

[Buftex]

8 hours ago, Just in Atlanta said:

My attempt at a ranking, best to worst:

1. Drew Bledsoe
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick
3. Doug Flutie
4. Tyrod Taylor
5. Rob Johnson
6. Trent Edwards
7. JP Losman
8. Kyle Orton
9. Thad Lewis
10. Jeff Tuel
11. Kelly Holcomb
12. Brian Brohm
13. EJ Manuel
    ...
    ...
    ...

   126. Nathan Peterman

 

The dark days are over my friends.

(Sorry, don't remember the likes of Todd Collins or Alex Van Pelt.)

 

Pretty good list, though I think I would move EJ ahead of Brohm, Holcomb and Tuel...and maybe move Orton up to #6

 

5 hours ago, Rico said:

I had high hopes for Vince Young.  

I was legit excited when we signed him... still one of the best college players I ever saw...and being an Austinite, I hate the Longhorns (and any idea of Austin Bills). 

[RyanC883]

i can’t believe we never made the playoffs with a Bledsoe team.  He was good his first year.  Also Fitzpatrick teams.  But I think their respective consistent inconsistency got them both in the end.  

3 hours ago, HOUSE said:

I think Losman was better then Trent Edwards

 

 

only perhaps netter than post injury Edwards.  

1 hour ago, Ethan in Portland said:

My top 4

 

1. Bledsoe - 2002 season was his second highest rated, second in yards, and highest comp % of his career.  Not only was it one of the best ever in Bills history it was a highlight for Bledsoe's career as well. He set Bills season total record for yards in 2002 only to be broken by Allen last year.    2002 season of QB play was the best during the 17 year drought.  Then it all fell apart.

2. TT - fun fact Tyrod's QB lowest rating as a Bill was 89.2 and as high as 99.4 (Jim Kelly's highest was 97.6 in 1991).  TT was QB for three years and Fitz was for four.  If you take Fitz best three years he only passed for 1000 more yards than TT.  Where Fitz beats TT handedly is in TD passes.  In Fitz's best three years he has 20 more TD passes than TT did in his three years.  TT had 16 interceptions total in 3 years.  Fitz had 23 in one season, 16 and 15 in the other two.  TT offense led the league in rushing 2 years in a row and was a top 10 scoring offense twice 

3. Fitz - as above, he scored and he turned the ball over.  Fun to watch and had some exciting wins but just too careless with the ball

4. Flutie - more urban legend than effective QB.  His best season in win total he had a QB rating of 75. The team won despite him not because of him.  That he is fourth on this list is a testament to the 13 other piles of garbage that played QB for the Bills

 

man, how bad was our D in 2002 to miss the playoffs.  

[GoBills808]

5 hours ago, Rico said:

I had high hopes for Vince Young.  

I remember getting excited watching Kyle Orton

[chongli]

14 hours ago, foreboding said:

I was trying to remember all the QBs who started for our team has had since Jim Kelly and before Josh Allen. The list was even longer than I thought, the number in parenthesis is the number of games started by said QB. Not far off from a QB per year since. Crazy and glad the desolation is over.

1997 Todd Collins (13) / Alex Van Pelt (3)

1998 Doug Flutie (10) / Rob Johnson (6)

1999 Doug Flutie (15) / Rob Johnson (1)

2000 Rob Johnson (11) / Doug Flutie (5)

2001 Alex Van Pelt (8) / Rob Johnson (8)

2002 Drew Bledsoe (16)

2003 Drew Bledsoe (16)

2004 Drew Bledsoe (16)

2005 J. P. Losman (8) / Kelly Holcomb (8)

2006 J. P. Losman (16)

2007 Trent Edwards (9) / J. P. Losman (7)

2008 Trent Edwards (14) / J. P. Losman (2)

2009 Ryan Fitzpatrick (8) / Trent Edwards (7) / Brian Brohm (1)

2010 Ryan Fitzpatrick (13) / Trent Edwards (2) / Brian Brohm (1)

2011 Ryan Fitzpatrick (16)

2012 Ryan Fitzpatrick (16)

2013 EJ Manuel (10) / Thad Lewis (5) / Jeff Tuel (1)

2014 Kyle Orton (12) / EJ Manuel (4)

2015 Tyrod Taylor (14) / EJ Manuel (2)

2016 Tyrod Taylor (15) / EJ Manuel (1)

2017 Tyrod Taylor (14) / Nathan Peterman (2)

 

To summarize:

 

16 QB's in 20 years, with 3 playoff years (1998, 1999, 2017) and 5 winning seasons with no division titles or playoff wins:

 

1998 10-6 (lost wild card game)

1999 11-5 (lost wild card game)

2004 9-7

2014 9-7

2017 9-7 (lost wild card game)

Edited August 4, 2021 by chongli