Tyrod Taylor is guiding Bills offense toward playoff berth
By Jason Horwitz
Prior to the start of the 2015 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills were viewed as a team with playoff potential, but limited by their lack of talent at the quarterback position. Following the surprising preseason decision from Rex Ryan to start QB Tyrod Taylor, a dual-threat product from Virginia Tech, expectations were increasingly unclear. Having only thrown 35 total passes in four NFL seasons, Taylor was greatly inexperienced in live game situations.
Little did we know Rex had found a diamond in the rough.
Currently, after starting 10 of the 12 games for the Bills, Taylor is fourth among QBs in passer rating (104.3), better than MVP candidates Tom Brady (102.8) and Cam Newton (93.2). Completing nearly 65% of his passes, "Tygod" is tied for the fewest interceptions thrown (4) for a QB that has started a minimum of 10 games.
Taylor, who missed two games due to injury this season (games the Bills lost), currently holds a 6-4 record as a starter, with two of those four losses coming against the New England Patriots. It is time to recognize that although he has only started in 10 games this season, Taylor is quickly becoming a top-10 quarterback in this league.
Historically, NFL fans and analysts have been skeptical of the ability for a dual-threat QB to make accurate passes from the pocket. Tyrod was quickly able to eradicate that assumption with a beauty of a pass to Percy Harvin in Week 1. To prove his capability even further, in Week 12 each of his six completions to Sammy Watkins were also thrown from the pocket.
Now, what about the gift he was given to run the ball?
Through his 10 games started, Taylor ranks fourth among QBs in rushing yards and ranks fourth as well in first downs gained. Extending plays to either find the open receiver or take off and run has always been an advantage of being mobile, and Taylor will continue to benefit from his legs.
But Taylor can't carry the entire Bills team: what about the other weapons on offense?
The rest of the offense has followed suit with Taylor's success recently, as LeSean McCoy has finally found his groove, rushing for over 100 yards in three of the last five games. There have also been multiple bright spots among the receiving corps as well. Robert Woods and Chris Hogan have supplied a great deal of assistance along the way, combining for five touchdown catches. Charles Clay had also filled the primary catching role while Watkins was unable to keep himself on the field in the beginning of the season.
While the Taylor-led offense has exceeded expectations, the other side of the ball is the reason to wonder if a playoff push is possible.
Going into the season, the Bills defense was built to be elite, centered around a monster pass rush that was intended to force teams to run the football. Through 12 games, the defense has not been as fearsome as predicted, which has led to an average of 23.2 points allowed.
The most alarming statistic for this defense revolves around the 18 sacks they have been able to force, ranking 29th in the NFL. They have yet to sack the QB more than twice in a single game this season. In the final four games, this defensive line must pressure the quarterback or they will not make the playoffs once again.
What does the future possibility of making the playoffs look like for the Bills for this year and beyond?
Well, with four games remaining on the Bills' schedule — three of which are against NFC East teams (Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas) and the final game game being the most important in a showdown with the New York Jets — the Bills most certainly could be in line for their first playoff appearance since 1999. And with Taylor under center, the Bills are likely to be competing for a playoff berth in future seasons as well.
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