In the Buffalo Bills' first game since last Friday's jarring trades of top receiver Sammy Watkins and cornerback Ronald Darby, Tyrod Taylor gave reporters something to write about -- just not in the way he would have wanted. Taylor was intercepted twice and otherwise stumbled through a quarter and a half of the Bills' 20-16 preseason road loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Taylor's rough night: After completing 5 of 8 passes for 46 yards in the preseason opener, Taylor took an alarming step backward on Thursday night. Taylor's first pass of the night was thrown into a blitzing defender, tipped and intercepted. On his fourth drive, Taylor was intercepted by old friend Darby on a play in which rookie right tackle Dion Dawkins allowed inside pressure, forcing Taylor out of the pocket before underthrowing Anquan Boldin downfield. Protection was an issue for Taylor, but his accuracy and decision-making were bigger problems. Outside of two interceptions, Taylor had two passes nearly intercepted on late throws and made life difficult on his receivers. He also attempted passes short of the first-down marker on two separate third-down plays. Even if Taylor had Watkins for Thursday's game, the results might not have changed. He completed 8 of 18 passes for 53 yards, two interceptions and a 12.0 quarterback rating before exiting with 3 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

QB depth chart: After replacing Taylor, Nathan Peterman's second drive began with 47 seconds remaining in the first half. The fifth-round rookie led the Bills on a nine-play, 67-yard drive that ended on a 42-yard Stephen Hauschka field goal. Leading the second team after leapfrogging veteran T.J. Yates on the depth chart, Peterman found a connection with tight end Nick O'Leary (21 yards) and rookie receiver Zay Jones (22 yards). Peterman finished the night 10-for-20 passing for 167 yards and a 78.5 quarterback rating. He was replaced by Yates with 8:56 remaining in the fourth quarter. Yates completed 9 of 15 passes for 83 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

That guy could start: Peterman? OK, kidding. Maybe. After Taylor looked awful in his six possessions Thursday, some fan questions arose on social media about whether Peterman should be given an opportunity to take first-team reps. At this point, don't bet on that happening -- at least in the short-term. Despite last week's trades, coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have been adamant they still want to put their best foot forward this season. Giving a developmental rookie quarterback reps over an experienced starter would be a sure sign the Bills are conceding the 2017 season. I do not anticipate the Bills making any guarantees that Taylor will remain the starter for the entire season, but, for now, Peterman has a long way to go before challenging Taylor's job.

When it was starters vs. starters, the Bills looked …: Generally better on defense. Both the Bills' starting offense and starting defense played six possessions. The first-team offense gained 86 yards and scored three points. The first-team defense allowed 116 yards and six points, although 110 of those yards came on the Eagles' fourth and sixth drives. Philadelphia gained only 5 yards over their first three possessions, holding LeGarrette Blount to 8 yards on five carries and forcing him to fumble. With some liberal rotation along the Bills' defensive line, the Eagles were able to gain some ground at the line of scrimmage as the game progressed into the second quarter.

LeSean McCoy plays full quarter: While Taylor's performance Thursday night gave Bills fans pause about his outlook for this season, McCoy remaining in the game at the start of Buffalo's fifth offensive possession had some fans on social media questioning why the Bills were risking injury to their star running back. Vital to the Bills' offensive success this season, McCoy rushed four times for 21 yards. On his first run of the night, for 13 yards, McCoy eluded Darby with his trademark quick-cut move. The Bills might not be headed for a winning season, but McCoy is still at the top of his game.

One reason to be concerned: Penalties, especially on special teams. The Bills were called for a staggering 12 penalties in the first half, nine of which were accepted. Of those 12 penalties, five were special-teams penalties -- the same penalty total as the Bills had on special teams in their preseason opener. "Second week in a row, can't do that to ourselves," McDermott told the TV broadcast at halftime. Former coach Rex Ryan was often blamed for his team's high penalty total and a perceived lack of discipline, so it is only fair to turn the attention to McDermott and how his staff can teach players to avoid being flagged. The Bills finished the game with 15 accepted penalties.