ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Nathan Peterman it is, not that anyone should truly be surprised by Sean McDermott’s decision which was announced early on Labor Day morning.
“Nate has earned the right,” McDermott said of the second-year player who will be Buffalo’s starting quarterback for the regular-season opener Sunday afternoon in Baltimore. “I thought with his total body of work through the spring and summer and fall camp to this point, he has certainly earned the right.”
The Bills coach made it perfectly clear from the start — as Peterman, Josh Allen and A.J. McCarron stated their cases to be QB1 — that each would be afforded a fair shot to win it. To his credit, McDermott did not deviate from that plan as they all started one of the first three preseason games, and they all took plenty of reps with the first-string offense in training camp.
When all the evaluations were concluded, the evidence was clear-cut in favor of Peterman, and McDermott made the undeniably proper and logical call.
Had McDermott picked Allen, it would have rendered the idea that this was a true competition a farce. It also may have raised questions about who is making the football decisions because owners Terry and Kim Pegula are invested heavily in Allen, the No. 7 overall draft pick who is widely considered to be the future face of the franchise.
Allen certainly would have been the better marketing choice, but Peterman was superior on the field, which is all that should matter.
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Now, is Peterman more talented than Allen? I would say no way, but right now, in the first week of September 2018, he is better prepared to go against a Baltimore defense that ranked sixth in the NFL last season in points allowed.
“I’m not sure there was one moment (where the scales tipped in Peterman’s favor), there was a series of moments as you go back and watch the journey to this point,” said McDermott. “The full body of work, the way he handled himself. He’s a steady young man and there’s a lot to be said for that.”
McDermott said Peterman has no reason to be looking over his shoulder at the prized rookie. It’s his job, and the only way he’s losing it is if he plays horribly, or he gets hurt. Until either of those things happen, Allen will be running the scout team during the week and wearing a headset on the sidelines on Sundays.
“He’s on schedule,” McDermott said of Allen, who was considered raw when the Bills drafted him, a player who would need seasoning before he could start in a regular-season game, which has turned out to be true. “I’ve been very pleased with the way he has developed at this point in time. I expect Josh will be ready to go whenever his number is called, and that’s his focus right now.”
Given the state of the Bills’ offensive line, and the offense in general, McDermott is also protecting Allen. Not that he’s throwing Peterman to the wolves, but given what we saw in the preseason from the line, the trust level can’t be very high in their ability to protect quarterbacks, not that McDermott would ever admit that.
Sending Allen out there is probably a risk not worth taking given the aforementioned investment the franchise has in him. Peterman does not have a strong arm, but one thing he does pretty well is get rid of the ball on time, a much-needed skill playing behind the likes of interior blockers Vlad Ducasse, Ryan Groy (who was named the starting center Monday) and John Miller, not to mention career mediocrity Jordan Mills at right tackle.
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