By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott decided enough is enough … for now.
On Wednesday, he finally made up his mind after declining to name a starting quarterback Monday. Rookie quarterback Josh Allen will make his first career start and second-year pro Nathan Peterman will hit the bench.
The move is only at one position on the field, but the effects could be felt all over Buffalo’s roster.
With that, here are five things to watch for on the Bills when Allen hits the field on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers:
He’s no Tyrod Taylor, but Allen absolutely has one thing on Peterman. Sure, there’s his trademark arm strength. But his most important trait is his mobility. For a 6-foot-5 fella, Allen has the athleticism to make would-be tacklers miss. It’s more of a Ben Roethlisberger-type mobility and not in a Taylor-type of “run faster than everyone” way. That’s a big key seeing as the Bills’ offensive line was the only thing less impressive than Peterman last week. In total, Allen and Peterman were sacked six times against the Ravens. They were hit even more times.
Allen extended plays by both staying behind the line of scrimmage and completing passes and taking off and running himself, Allen rushed for 26 yards total, more than LeSean McCoy’s 22 yards. Look for both to happen against the Chargers.
Offensive line and long balls
The offensive line has to be better with Allen. While Peterman wasn’t great, on his second interception, he was hit on back-to-back plays, the second being the pick-off. On those plays, the Ravens’ pass rushers were untouched. Even Allen, who’s clearly more mobile than Peterman, isn’t going to be able to make any sort of magic happen on a play like that.
As prior mentioned, Allen’s mobility is the biggest key for the rookie. However, there’s his arm, too. Will that be a factor? Can the Bills take advantage of Allen’s arm? SportRadar tracked Peterman with an average of 2.41 seconds to throw last week, which was fourth-worst in the NFL. That’s not a lot of time for a rookie QB to find an open receiver, or for a route 20-plus yards down the field to develop. Keep an eye on the clock Allen has and if the offensive line can give him some help.
Receiver separation
McDermott was blunt about one thing during his Wednesday press conference: Wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and tight end Charles Clay have to be better. “Absolutely (they have to be better),” McDermott said. Allen likely gives them and the rest of Buffalo’s playmakers a better shot at making some plays.
With Allen’s arm strength, passes can be fit into a much tighter window. Every pass isn’t a bullet, but those that are, arrive much quicker than Peterman’s. Defenders then have less time to react to passes. A little bit more of an advantage to Buffalo’s playmakers. Regardless, they have to hold up to their end of the bargain, too. Get more separation.
Run-game woes improve?
Allen was Buffalo’s second-leading rusher against the Ravens with 26 yards on the ground. Marcus Murphy found a few holes, gaining 31. Star back LeSean McCoy ran for a 12-yard scamper. On his other six carries, he averaged 1.5 yards per carry. That’s awful.
If Allen’s in the game and can keep the offense moving through the air, teams might have to back off on McCoy, starting with the Chargers. Buffalo’s 30-year-old back needs help from the offensive line, though. Look for a respect for Allen’s deep ball to maybe open things up for Shady.
Defense improvement
Buffalo’s offense didn’t get a first down in the first half of their opening day blowout loss. That had nothing to do with the defense, but then again, it kind of did. Buffalo’s defense spent a lot of time on the first in the first half. The Bills offensive couldn’t sustain any momentum. In total, Baltimore had an advantage in possession of 35:14 to Buffalo’s 24:46.
The Ravens also had 26 first downs to Buffalo’s 10. Not only would bodies be fresher, momentum and confidence would certainly be higher if your offense gets some things done.