This season, we at TSFJ have been drawing attention to abysmal quarterbacks with the Kaepernick Rankings to further prove that Colin Kaepernick belongs in the NFL. As Week 12 approaches, it’s a given Kap will remain without a roster spot for the rest of the season.
As of now, 42 free agent quarterbacks have been signed over him. Out of the 42, none have the skill or football resume similar to Kaepernick. While the previous weeks have been all about our favorite quarterback for the culture, Kaepernick, we want to shed light on a quarterback controversy involving Buffalo Bills quarterbacks Tyrod Taylor and Nathan Peterman.
As you may know, we usually select three to four quarterbacks to mildly berate, make fun of, and critique. However, this week will be slightly different. Although the namesake of the rankings is who we support, we want to offer the same type of backing for Tyrod Taylor.
For those who don’t know, Peterman, a rookie quarterback, was inserted in place Taylor in the starting lineup last week. It’s often that quarterbacks get replaced, but this situation had no logical reason behind it. To most, it was a head-scratching move and against the Los Angeles Chargers, it proved to be one of the worse gambles in recent memory when it comes to a midseason change quarterback. At times coaches become enamored with their new toys, none more so than with their signal callers.
There are a few reasons why this move didn’t make any sense, and as a result, it caught national attention. In large part, it was because Taylor is a solid quarterback who was helping put the Bills in contention to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. I don’t think people realize that is almost twenty years ago. To make things clearer, 1999 was a time were P-Diddy and J-Lo were an item and MTV actually played music videos.
Winning in the NFL is very hard to do. Buffalo knows this all too well, and that they risked their playoff chances is beyond me. When diving into the numbers, Taylor has been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NFL. He isn't Tom Brady, Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers, but he’s certainly better than Peterman. He is one of four quarterbacks that has over 10+ touchdowns and less than 4 interceptions. And he has the lowest interception rate for quarterbacks in NFL history. Although the numbers are in his favor, he was unable to sustain his job.
As you might expect, Peterman exhibited why he had no business on the field. His five interceptions surpassed Taylor’s mark for the season. To add insult to injury, Taylor entered the game and had a solid outing throwing for 158 yards and a touchdown in mop-up duty.
What makes matters worse is that Bills head coach Sean McDermott is entertaining the idea of starting Peterman again. This type of move will likely keep Buffalo from making the playoffs, and the tension in the locker room would heighten as well. The situation would be totally different if this was your future first-round stud, but Peterman is a 5th rounder that may not be good enough to make the other 31 teams in the NFL.
To be honest, if Taylor or any black QB played a half as bad as a 5th rounder like Peterman did, the chances of them not only starting the next game, but any game after that would be slim.
People may not want to face the reality, but black quarterbacks have a shorter leash than other quarterbacks. Some may want to argue that, but Buffalo proved it, whether or not that was their intent.
Tyrod Taylor isn't the first black quarterback to be mistreated and he certainly won’t be the last.
This topic is neverending, and it has no signs of slowing down. With the blackballing of Colin Kaepernick in the NFL, and now the ongoing situation involving Peterman and Taylor, it reveals that teams around the league aren't focused on playing the best player, their focus is based solely on the white fit.
#FreeKap
#FreeTyrod
