Buffalo Bills finally ready to address backup QB spot?
By Cory Buck
After nearly a year of convincing themselves that Thad Lewis and Jeff Tuel might be enough for the Buffalo Bills as second and third quarterbacks behind second-year first rounder EJ Manuel, it appears the coaching staff is finally willing to look outside the organization for a more suitable answer at QB2.
More from Buffalo Bills
- Damar Hamlin is a ‘full go’ at Bills training camp
- NFL rumors: Division rival could steal Dalvin Cook from Dolphins
- Bills RB to miss entire season after freak jet ski accident
- Bills fan hitched the luckiest ride home from Atlanta with Sean McDermott
- 3 best QB-receiver combinations in the NFL for the 2023 season
“I’m not going to sit here and say I’m satisfied with the backup quarterback because I’m not,” head coach Doug Marrone said per the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle. While starter EJ Manuel has had struggles of his own, it’s clear that the Bills could do plenty worse with Tuel and Lewis, who have combined for 404 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 interceptions and a 59.9 QB rating in the team’s four preseason games.
It was forgivable last season when the Bills rolled out this unglamorous trio as the team had originally secured a veteran quarterback in Kevin Kolb. Once Kolb was hit with a career-ending concussion, the team was left with little choice but to roll out Lewis and Tuel behind Manuel.
This year though, the team had plenty of time to find a veteran backup or a young quarterback to offer legitimate competition to Manuel. General Manager Doug Whaley did neither of those things and now it appears he and Marrone are having second thoughts about that approach. “If we can better our football team, do whatever we have to do, we will,” Marrone said.
This epiphany comes not a moment too soon for a Bills team that has yet to see its first string offense score a touchdown against an opposing first string defense.