The Bills could be moving on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor after this Sunday, especially if the Bills lose to the Miami Dolphins. If the Bills happen to beat the Dolphins and either the Baltimore Ravens lose or both the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans lose to secure a playoff spot, Taylor may not be going anywhere. Taylor can’t control what happens in the three other games that Bills fans will be paying close attention to, but he is in control of what happens against the Dolphins.
The Bills are in serious playoff contention for the first time since Taylor has been in Buffalo. Even if the Bills don’t get the help they need, fans will still be able to see how Taylor does in crunch time against a team that he has success against. Since joining the Bills, Taylor has passed for 1,232 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions against the Dolphins. As the starter, he is 1-1 when playing in Miami which is clear tough place to play as the visitors.
Taylor has done very well for the Bills but has also helped cause stress to fans. Bills fans haven’t seen a lot of interceptions made by Taylor which is great, but it’s because Taylor is a mobile quarterback that relies on his legs more than his arm. Even as a mobile quarterback, he has managed to put up over 3,000 passing yards the last two seasons, but that won’t most likely be the case this season seeing as how Taylor currently has 2,595 passing yards.
Taylor is no Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or Drew Brees but he has shown promise at different times for the Bills. The only problem is that Taylor fails to exceed on the field at the times that are most needed. When looking at quarterbacks, when fans see someone like Brady or Rodgers playing late in the fourth quarter or even overtime, typically both of them come out victorious because they step up and finish strong.
With Taylor, especially this season, the Bills have lost games that could have been victories. Games against the Jets (the first meeting), Falcons, Buccaneers and Dolphins (first meeting), Taylor was able to lead the offense and score points that weren’t field goals.
There were games where Taylor failed to get the offense going and in one of those games, he ended up getting replaced.
In Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers, the offense can only be described as awful. Only able to put up three points for the game and not get anything going on almost every single one of their drives was painful to watch. Taylor was the guy taking the snaps and the one leading the offense. He clearly did not lead the Bills offense that game.
Fast forward to Weeks’ 10 and 13 when Taylor and the Bills faced the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots.
Against the Saints, the entire game was awful to watch on both sides of the ball for the Bills. Focusing on the offense, Taylor had his worse game of the season and arguably his worse game of his career when he passed for only 56 yards and one interception. Eventually, he was replaced by Nathan Peterman who threw for 79 yards and a touchdown.
The performance by Taylor caused him to be replaced by Peterman the next week against the Chargers which easily backfired on the Bills as Peterman threw for five interceptions in the first half and the Chargers ended up winning 54-24.
In Week 13, the first meeting against the Patriots was once again a nightmare for Taylor. He had very similar numbers much like the Saints game. Tossing the ball for 65 yards and one interception. The offense couldn’t get going anything once again.
Since 2015, Taylor has been up and down with how he performs in games. Some he exceeds expectations and some he doesn’t. It seems like he doesn’t when the games matter the most.
It Comes Down to Sunday:
This Sunday could very well be Taylor’s last game as a Buffalo Bill. His chances of staying increase if they defeat the Dolphins but will increase even more if the Bills make the playoffs, Who knows what will happen after Sunday, but fans nor the team can focus on that. The main focus is on beating the Dolphins in Miami to clinch the season series.
Taylor will have to have his best game of the season this Sunday. This means driving the ball down the field to score touchdowns. Field goals are not going to win this game unless the defense is able to stop Jay Cutler and the offense on almost every single drive.
Stay tuned Bills fans…it’s either going to be a fun Sunday or a stressful one.
Make sure to follow Brandon Ray on Twitter at @brandon_ray79 and @FPC_Bills for Buffalo Bills Coverage.