Could the Buffalo Bills start a rookie quarterback in their season opener against the New York Jets? That now becomes a possibility after starter Tyrod Taylor suffered a concussion in Saturday's 13-9 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Taylor fell hard on the back of his head while being sacked in the first quarter by Ravens linebacker Matthew Judon, causing trainers to meet Taylor on the field, remove him from the game and later accompany him to the locker room. Taylor, who played two drives, was replaced by 2017 fifth-round pick Nathan Peterman on the third possession.
At this point, nothing is certain about when Taylor will be able to practice or play again. He must pass certain checkpoints under the NFL's concussion protocol in order to return to the field. His recovery time will depend on the severity of the concussion.
If Taylor is not yet ready for the Bills' Sept. 10 opener at New Era Field, Peterman projects to be the starting quarterback. While the Bills should still be favored over the Jets in such a scenario, it could make one of the easiest games on Buffalo's schedule more competitive.
More on Saturday's preseason game:
Mixed results from Peterman: On his first four possessions, Peterman and the first-team offense gained a total of 11 yards on 16 plays. Peterman's second and third series both lost yards, although both were stunted by illegal formation penalties against the offensive line that negated third-down conversions by Peterman. The rookie later took over the first-team offense with 2 minutes, 39 seconds remaining in the first half and led an 11-play, 83-yard drive that was assisted by a pass interference penalty by the Ravens in the end zone. Running back Mike Tolbert capped that drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. At times, Peterman looked decisive in the pocket and was accurate with his throws. At other times, including a play on which he was nearly intercepted on a pass thrown while he was being sacked, Peterman looked like a rookie. Overall, he finished 11-of-23 passing for 93 yards and a 58.8 quarterback rating before being replaced by T.J. Yates late in the third quarter. Yates was intercepted on his first pass.
QB depth chart: Beyond Taylor and Peterman, the Bills have only Yates, who initially ran the second-team offense in training camp before Peterman took over those duties in practice two weeks ago. It is unclear whether Taylor's concussion will cause the Bills to sign a fourth quarterback. They have an open spot on their 90-man roster and, unlike in past seasons when there was a cut down to 75 players, can keep all 90 for next Thursday's preseason finale against the Detroit Lions.
One reason to be concerned: Even before Taylor's concussion, the first-team offense looked out of sorts for a second consecutive preseason game. Taylor completed one of his three passes -- to slot receiver Brandon Tate -- for 1 yard, was sacked once and fumbled once. His offensive line, which continues to play without left tackle Cordy Glenn because of a foot injury, contributed to the problem. Buffalo also struggled to find early success with its running game, with LeSean McCoy gaining just 7 yards on six first-half carries.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Bills looked ...: Buffalo appears more stable on defense than offense, which can be attributed in part to fewer injuries and less personnel turnover. The first-team defense played the entire first half and the first possession of the second half, allowing the Ravens to gain 137 yards and score 3 points.
Bills can't shake penalty problem: The Bills were flagged for 10 accepted penalties in their first preseason game and 15 penalties in their second preseason. The pattern caused coach Sean McDermott to take action last week by hiring local football officials to call penalties during practice. The results were not immediate. Buffalo was flagged seven times in the first half of Saturday's game, including the two drive-killing illegal formation penalties by the offense.
Rookie watch: Outside of Peterman, three rookies received extensive playing time in Saturday's game: first-round cornerback Tre'Davious White and second-round wide receiver Zay Jones and offensive tackle Dion Dawkins. White is locked down as a starter opposite either Shareece Wright or E.J. Gaines, who split time at cornerback Saturday. Jones was targeted eight times but finished with only three catches for 28 yards. Dawkins started at left tackle in place of Glenn after practicing mostly at right tackle in training camp. Glenn is expected back by Week 1, but Dawkins is the contingency plan if there is a setback.