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The Bills had their best season of the century last year. A record of 9-7 allowed them to sneak into the playoffs for the first time since 1999, ending the longest drought in major North American sports.
The only failure was a bizarre episode in the middle of the season, when they suddenly thwarted their starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, and went with rookie Nathan Peterman, who quickly launched five interceptions in the first period.
So it came as a surprise when the Bills exchanged Taylor after the season, and it was a total shock when they announced that their starter this year … would be Nathan Peterman.
It was one of those decisions that all the casual fans and callers on sports radio have described as terrible. But sometimes casual fans and sports radio callers are absolutely right.
Peterman was again atrocious Sunday, completing 5 of 18 passes for 24 yards and 2 interceptions. And the Bills, a playoff team last season, lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 47-3.
In his horrible match last season, Peterman had a passing yardage range of -11.36, the worst of all quarters of the year. On Sunday, he was better, sort of, posting a minus 3.67. But it was always the worst of the week in N.F.L.
The negative number means, in theory, that the bills would have been better if Peterman had simply been kneeling at each pass.
By the N.F.L. quarterback scoring system, Peterman was actually worse on Sunday, dropping from 17.9 to his 2017 debacle to a minimum score of 0.
In the third quarter, following a 40-0 lead, Bills coach Sean McDermott finally gave up Peterman's latest experience and beat him for rookie Josh Allen . Allen's pass-adjusted yardage, while unimpressed, was at least positive: 4.93.
The problem for the Bills and their fans are the only options of the team. Buffalo traded A.J. McCarron to the Raiders on September 1 (Here's the mandatory reminder that Colin Kaepernick remains available.)
"I'm going to watch everything" McDermott said of the quarterback situation after the match. "It is too early to go one way or another."
At the other end of the quarter table, the week's best performance came from an unlikely source: Ryan Fitzpatrick made four touchdown passes and scored an adjusted 17.75 per attempt for the Buccaneers. It's the same Fitzpatrick who started the Bills from 2009 to 2012.
So what happened to the Sunday Bills? While Peterman was forgettable, he should not be held responsible for the loss of 44 points. The offensive line, which included several newcomers, gave him little time. His reception body was fragile. (The Bills seemed to have been able to use Deonte Thompson, who left as a free agent for the Cowboys.)
A racing game? Sean McCoy had 22 yards in seven races. The Bills had 10 penalties for 100 yards. And the secondary, which had been considered a force, was burned several times. Vontae Davis, a starter planned in the corner, was a scratch, apparently healthy.
The next game for the Bills is a home game against the Chargers. The Bills are 7½ point outsiders, the biggest margin for any local team next week. It could be a long season.
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