SI

‘“I just believe in being honest with my team, whether I’m right or wrong,” McDermott said from his office Wednesday night. “We all make mistakes. From a leadership standpoint, if I can try and communicate the best I can in sharing information I have with my team, then we’ll able to move forward. There’s also part of it, being vulnerable with my players, and being open, and being able to say, ‘Listen, if I made the wrong decision, I’ll admit it, and we’ll move on.’’

‘The standard has changed. There is no way the NFL can say that replay reversals are based on “clear and obvious” after that Bills TD overturned.’

‘Sunday’s game is a crucial one for the Bills, who are currently clinging to the final AFC Wild Card spot. Buffalo is 7–6 and holds the No. 6 seed by virtue of tiebreakers over the Chargers and Ravens. A Dolphins (6–7) win would could also improve Miami’s slim playoff hopes, though the Fins would need a lot of help to slip into the postseason.’

‘The camera operators—John Lawrence, John Lorusso, Mike Mathews, Don Miller, Mike Serio, Dave Swaine, Tony Toste (the handheld) and Bob Wishnie—were the unsung heroes of that telecast. (Most of you understandably missed the broadcast — it only went to four percent of the country.’

‘Peterman is the third quarterback used by the Bills against the Patriots. Joe Webb entered the game and threw one pass.’

‘Micah Hyde got into his own scuffle with Danny Amendola on the same play so the two teams decided to accept offsetting penalties. Unfortunately for the Bills, Jerry Hughes was called for a personal four for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play and the Bills lost 15 yards.’

‘As Mills related the tale of his upbringing to his teammates, he didn’t realize it was the start of new Bills tradition under McDermott: concluding team meetings by having a player talk about his life—personal stories of his upbringing, his motivations, his influences, what’s most important to him. Mills was nervous sharing a vulnerable part of his past, but when he was done he felt closer to his teammates. “It’s created a bond that I feel like no other team around this league has,” he says. “It’s really like we are brothers.”’

‘Surely, though, Taylor will not be the Bills’ starter in 2018. He has a cap number of $18 million that Buffalo likely won’t want to pay, even though that’s the going price for a quarterback that can win you games. And when you consider Taylor’s career numbers are right in line with that sort of pay—63% completion rate, 7.2 yards per attempt, only 17 career interceptions and a 20–18 record as a starter—Buffalo’s continued disinterest in its starter remains baffling.’

‘McDermott called the decision to start Taylor “the right thing for our team” on Wednesday.’

‘Imagine the world where a coach would be forced into making quite possibly the worst tactical decision of the season.’

‘The Bills may have lost more than just a game as a result of Taylor’s unjustified benching. This is the way a coach loses a locker room, a risk that Sean McDermott invited when he embarked on this foolish path.’

‘Now at 5-5 and in the midst of a three-game losing streak, the Bills will face the Chiefs on the road next week in a game that will have major playoff implications. The Bills are currently in the seventh seed, tied with the Ravens for the final playoff spot. The Chiefs still lead the AFC West, but now have just a two game lead on the Chargers and Raiders, and have lost four of their last five games.’

‘But Chapter 1 of the book on Taylor over the last three years has always been this: He consistently fails to target open receivers (as my podcast co-host and unlicensed financial advisor Andy Benoit always says, “There is no stat for throws that are open that a quarterback doesn’t make”).’

‘Buffalo enters the week with the league’s 28th–ranked offense and 30th–ranked passing offense.’

‘Taylor was never going to work in Buffalo, but not for lack of effort on his part. The satisfaction will have to come in succeeding elsewhere, in an offense that rewards his measured mobility and decision-making. Until then, all eyes will be on the Bills and this puzzling—but ultimately predictable—gamble with a playoff spot on the line.’