In my mind, after 1/4 of the season, questions remain concerning Tyrod Taylor
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Monday, October 5, 2015 | BataviasBest.org
Tyrod Taylor has provided Buffalo Bills fans around the country with incredible hope surrounding the Bills’ long-lacking quarterback position thus far in 2015. Through his reasonably impressive performance this season Taylor has not only essentially put questions concerning the position aside for the time being, but he has also garnered an abundance of praise from the various talking heads around the NFL – a first for a Bills quarterback since Jim Kelly donned Bills’ Red, White, and Blue.
However, despite the positivity that has seemed to envelop the Bills’ signal caller, I cannot completely come to terms with the fact that Tyrod Taylor is our ‘Quarterback of the Future’ – and for many reasons.
First, having gone to the Bills’ two home preseason games, as well as their first three home games during the 2015 regular season, a few things bother me when it comes to Tyrod’s progression as a quarterback:
Feet
Perhaps the most-worrisome aspect of Tyrod’s game this season, in my mind, has been the inconsistent footwork that he has shown from within the pocket.
Upon dropping back from under center on several occasions in Week 4 vs the Giants for example, Taylor seemed quite uncomfortable in hanging in, and dissecting the play from between the tackles. Instead, from what I could tell, the Bills QB showed the tendency to throw on the move, or from an unbalanced base various times – which I thought led to a few lackluster throws which should have been completed in key situations on third down.
Perhaps the reason for a few dismal throws on part of Taylor was the Giants pass rush, who seemed to give the Bills’ QB limited time throughout the day (2 sacks). However, I have witnessed this from Tyrod throughout the year, and believe his issues in this area stem from the subject of my next point.
Decision Making
Another aspect of Tyrod’s game which provides me with a bit of trepidation is his ability to make decisions from the pocket beyond his initial read. In other words, when I have noticed Taylor having to go through 2, 3, or 4 of his wide receivers from within the pocket prior to finding a target, he seems to get a bit uncomfortable and consistently misses throws he should be making.
I also believe the Bills’ coaches have noticed this, as their gameplan vs the Giants was obviously centered around short, dink and dunk passes which favored quick reads from the quarterback – leading to Taylor’s season-low yards/attempt average of 6.5 vs New York.
Now, I understand that Buffalo’s offensive line has left plenty to be desired this year, which in-turn makes things more difficult on the quarterback in terms of their confidence within the pocket and their decision making. I also realize the Bills’ gameplan centered around short throws may have had a bit to do with the Bills’ concerns surrounding the offensive line.
However, in order to become a top-level quarterback in this league one must perform under pressure with poise in all situations, and I have yet to witness that level of consistency from Taylor while inside the pocket through the first four games – which is also proven by the statistics.
Stats
Despite Taylor ranking inside the top-10 in many offensive categories this season, including completion percentage, touchdowns, passer rating, and yards per attempt, there are also telling stats that paint a vastly disparate picture of the Bills’ quarterback. For example in 2015, Tyrod Taylor ranks:
- 12th in passing yards (middle of the pack)
- 19th in yards per game (below average)
- 21st in attempts (has been asked to do very little – highlighted by Bills’ gameplan vs NYG)
- 14th in completions (as a result of low number of attempts)
In addition, the Bills quarterback also ranks inside the top-10 in a couple of other categories – sacks (7th) and interceptions (9th).
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Now, I am not saying the Bills haven’t found their quarterback of the future – but I am certainly not ready to say that they have found their quarterback of the future.
There are several signs on both sides of the coin that tell a different story about how Taylor has performed through a 2-2 start for the Buffalo Bills. That being said, as we approach the second quarter of the season, and as the Bills continue to progress, I’m sure we will be begin to definitively assess what Taylor will be for this Buffalo team in the near future, and beyond.
In the end, I am hoping Tyrod Taylor is the choice for the Bills.
I’m just not ready to crown him yet.
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