If you asked most people who closely followed the Buffalo Bills preseason, a good portion of them likely agree with the decision to name Nathan Peterman the starting quarterback.
Yes, Josh Allen is the future at the position. And A.J. McCarron came into the preseason the most experienced of the bunch. But with Allen struggling in the one preseason game that mirrors regular season action the most combined with Buffalo trading McCarron to the Oakland Raiders, Peterman emerged as the best option.
It’s hard to argue that he didn’t earn it. In his three appearances, Peterman completed 33 of his 41 passes for 432 yards, three touchdowns, and a single interception. His average quarterback rating over those three games came to a mightily impressive 126.07.
But it must be said that much of his exploits came against players who are no longer on NFL rosters. Facing starting-caliber talent, which he will be doing when the Bills open the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, is a much more difficult endeavor. And question marks abound as to whether the offensive tools the Bills possess can enable him to succeed.
Ways the Buffalo Bills Can Help Nathan Peterman With a Simplified Offensive Game Plan
Perhaps the biggest concern heading into the season-opener is the offensive line. That was readily apparent when the Bills took on the Cincinnati Bengals in front of a national television audience in the third preseason game. Allen played the entirety of the first half against the Bengals defensive starters and was under duress early and often.
The numbers speak for themselves. Allen finished with 34 yards on 6/12 passing and his quarterback rating was a pedestrian 56.3. The biggest example of the constant pressure he faced post-snap came in the form of the five sacks he suffered at the hands of the Bengals defense. The confluence of those factors likely influenced head coach Sean McDermott‘s decision to name Peterman his Week One starter.
The second-year signal-caller out of Pittsburgh is in for a challenge against a Ravens defense that knows how to make an opposing quarterback’s life miserable. Last year, both veteran edge rusher Terrell Suggs and the defense as a whole finished tied for 11th in the NFL in sacks. Strongside linebacker Matt Judon showcased his versatility last year, registering eight sacks in addition to three interceptions.
But that’s not to say that McDermott and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll can’t set Peterman up for success. It’s going to involve some nuanced play-calling that caters to the team’s strengths on offense while limiting the propensity for its weaknesses to become magnified. Two elements will be particularly important on Sunday.
Quick Releases From Snap to Throw
Most observers agree that the O-line is the weakest unit of the Bills offense. So how do you mitigate that particular unit from becoming a weak link play after play? One thing the Bills will have to do is ensure that Peterman gets the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible. It’s something they worked on quite a bit during the preseason. And the advanced stats point to Peterman having a chance to excel in these particular situations.
In a recent piece for The Athletic, Erik Turner cited data from Pro Football Focus indicating that Peterman’s average snap to throw time came in at 2.29 seconds. That actually tied him with New England Patriots legend and future first-ballot Hall of Famer Tom Brady. While it did come in the preseason and Peterman can expect to see much more complex and exotic looks from opposing defenses in games that matter, it’s a promising development.
What it indicates is that Peterman showed comfort in quickly diagnosing and reading coverages both pre and post snap. That kind of lightning-quick processing of information is going to be essential if Peterman doesn’t want to be running for his life in passing situations. That’s especially true considering the formation the offense will likely utilize to get the ball to his pass-catchers as fast as possible.
Empty Sets With Effective Route Concepts
It may seem counterintuitive at first, but an empty set formation can help mask inherent weaknesses on the offensive line. Why is that? Because with a five-receiver look, the defense can’t disguise blitzes pre-snap as effectively as they’d like. And if you go with tempo or no-huddle looks, it has the potential to wear down the defensive front as the game wears on.
Expect this to be a staple under Daboll as he looks to take the pressure off Peterman. It’s possible that he goes with a 20 personnel look (two running backs, no tight ends, three wide receivers) at times when they go empty set. This puts a lot of athleticism on the field while also taking into account the lack of experience at tight end. Aside from Charles Clay, the current tight ends on the roster (Logan Thomas, Jason Croom, and Khari Lee) have a combined 88 career receiving yards.
Having well-designed route concepts and players who run them effectively will be crucial. In situations where the Bills line up in an empty set on first down, they could put LeSean McCoy in the slot with Kelvin Benjamin on the boundary. If the Ravens are in a single-high safety look, a play where Benjamin runs a straight go route could open up space in the flats for Shady, resulting in those short yardage situations on later downs which move the chains more often than not.
Last Word
Peterman getting the nod in Week One gives him a golden opportunity to silence his critics. Too many casual NFL fans and so-called experts still associate him with his forgettable debut against the Los Angeles Chargers last year. And it’s not like throwing for five interceptions in a game as a rookie is a career death sentence. Drew Bledsoe and Matthew Stafford are among the first-year quarterbacks to have done so. The former was the established starter for the Pats before the emergence of Brady. The latter is among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league today.
Having said all that, it won’t be easy for Peterman on Sunday. He faces a stern test against a Ravens team full of talented playmakers at all levels of the defense. It’s a team that might have extra motivation considering the Bills made the playoffs at their expense last year. For him to succeed, the system will have to play to his strengths and that of the offense as a whole. Time will tell if that ultimately becomes a reality.
