Nathan Peterman may actually get another start for the Bills
Nathan Peterman is clearly not a starting-caliber NFL quarterback, but don’t tell that to Bills coach Sean McDermott.
Nathan Peterman has now made three NFL starts. In one of them, his passer rating literally would have been better if his interceptions and the return yardage by the opposing team had counted for him. The second took place in a snowstorm, so he gets a mulligan for that effort (5-for-10 for 57 yards and a touchdown).
But things reached a new low in the third start, Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens in a 47-3 season-opening loss. Peterman went 5-for-18 for 24 yards with two interceptions while taking three sacks before he was mercifully pulled in favor of rookie Josh Allen in the third quarter.
Peterman posted a Blutarsky-esque 0.0 passer rating on Sunday. Allen wasn’t dramatically better, completing 6 of 15 passes for 74 yards while absorbing three more sacks behind a deficient offensive line.
But when asked about a starting quarterback for Week 2, Bills head coach Sean McDermott would not commit to benching Peterman.
Then there’s this nugget.
Fun fact: Nathan Peterman would have produced a higher passer rating if he had just spiked the ball every play. https://t.co/z32xtJ4t4r
— For The Win (@ForTheWin) September 9, 2018
Sean McDermott says Monday that he is “still going through it” at quarterback and will “continue to evaluate where we are, dotting the i’s, crossing the t’s and taking it one step at a time."
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) September 10, 2018
#Bills HC Sean McDermott on Nathan Peterman, and how he would justify potentially starting him: When you look at the tape, we all have to do our job better. Whether it's QB, my position. Our team in all three phases didn't play well enough to win.
— Joe Buscaglia (@JoeBuscaglia) September 10, 2018
McDermott’s sentiment about there being plenty of blame to go around in the second-worst loss in Bills’ franchise history is correct. But Peterman is clearly overmatched right now, and the team has little or no chance to win when he’s playing. The idea of having “I’s to dot” and “T’s to cross” invites a literal, four-letter profane written assessment of Sunday’s performance.
The Bills play the Los Angeles Chargers at home next Sunday. The venue will be different, but the opponent will be the same as Peterman’s aforementioned first NFL start. He had five first half interceptions in that Week 11 game before being benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor in a loss that would have cost the team a playoff spot if not for some good fortune in Week 17.
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The way things are looking, the Bills will have no such problems regarding a push for playoff spot this year.