Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor got off to a good start on Sunday against the Raiders by completing 8-of-9 passes for 102 yards in the first quarter, but the next three quarters weren’t so hot.
He was 10-of-26 for 89 yards and turned the ball over twice while the Bills went from being up 15 points to losing by 14 points when time ran out on the game. It also pushed the clock on their playoff chances much closer to zero, which means it is almost time to start looking ahead to the offseason.
A decision on Taylor’s future will be a big part of that offseason. He’s due $27.5 million in guaranteed money if he’s on the team on the fourth day of the 2017 league year, which is a lot of money for a player who hasn’t taken clear steps forward in his second season running the Buffalo offense. Coach Rex Ryan was asked after the game whether Taylor is falling short of where the team wants him to be.
“Look, let’s just let this play out,” Ryan said, via NewYorkUpstate.com. “We feel pretty comfortable with Tyrod. There’s a lot of factors that go into everything. ... I’m not going to go into a list of them. You guys can figure it out.”
Injuries to others on the offense are likely on the list that Ryan opted not to share, but it’s hard to pin things on outside factors when you’re deciding about a major investment on a player. That call is on the horizon for the Bills and Taylor’s play isn’t making it easy for them to say yes.