Is the Buffalo Bills quarterback competition now a two-horse race?
That might be the case after A.J. McCarron suffered a hairline fracture to his collarbone in the first quarter of Friday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News initially reported on the developments. Buffalo eventually defeated Cleveland by a score of 19-17.
#Bills QB AJ McCarron suffered a hairline fracture of the collarbone in the first quarter of tonight's preseason game vs. #Browns, The Buffalo News has learned.
— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) August 18, 2018
Buffalo Bills Quarterback A.J. McCarron Suffers Collarbone Fracture Against Cleveland Browns
McCarron got the start for the Bills and the plan was for him to play the entirety of the opening 15 minutes. Almost immediately, he was under duress with his offensive line getting dominated at the point of attack by the Browns’ first-teamers up front. It led to the Bills offense struggling in the opening stanza.
The stats speak for themselves. All four of Buffalo’s possessions in the first quarter resulted in three and outs. And McCarron managed just 12 yards, completing just three of his six passes.
The timetable for McCarron’s return remains a mystery. But his injury likely means that the starting quarterback job is down to either Josh Allen or Nathan Peterman. Both signal callers had impressive outings on Friday albeit it came against most of Cleveland’s non-starters.
Allen’s entry into the game in the second quarter reignited the Bills offense. He led the team on a 15-play, 75-yard drive on his first possession which ended with him throwing a short touchdown pass to Rod Streater. All in all, he finished the game 9/13 for 60 yards and a 104.6 quarterback rating.
Peterman played for most of the second half after starting last week’s preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers, a 28-23 loss. In both games, the second-year pro out of Pittsburgh exhibited exceptional accuracy. His stat line in Cleveland consisted of him going 8/10 and throwing for 113 yards. It included a 35-yard touchdown toss to tight end Nick O’Leary.
All of this suggests that Sean McDermott‘s decision on who starts in Week One against the Baltimore Ravens is a bit easier. The next chance he gets to evaluate Allen and Peterman takes place against McCarron’s former team, the Cincinnati Bengals, on Sunday, August 26. The game kicks off at 4 p.m. ET with FOX providing national television coverage.
