The Buffalo Bills have quite the situation brewing at quarterback, in that they have three quarterbacks that they're seriously considering as the starter, but none of the three seem to be separating from the pack. And that leaves the team in a precarious situation, with two preseason games already gone and the regular season just a couple weeks away.
The Bills begin the regular season against the Colts on September 13. Whether the quarterback leading the team onto the field will be Tyrod Taylor, Matt Cassel, or EJ Manuel is still unknown.
You know who isn't worried, though? Head coach Rex Ryan.
"This was the scenario I wanted," Ryan said on Tuesday, according to NFL.com. "I wanted a scenario where all three guys performed at a high level and I think we have. When you look at the games that I think all three guys have performed at a really high level, and so that's what exactly I was wanting. If I was a betting man going into it would I have said that? I'm not sure. But I'm glad it's working out the way it is."
By now, Ryan is used to less-than-pleasant quarterback situations, as he endured seasons with Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith as the Jets head coach. So, Ryan is opting to let this situation play out for a little while longer. He doesn't care if his starter isn't announced before the third preseason game.
"I think you guys overblow that one," Ryan said. "They're preseason games. You know, super important and all that, and maybe to some teams it is. To us, the preparation, we just want to get it right come the opener..."
So, who will it be?
Will it be Manuel, the former first-round pick who looked decent in the Bills' second preseason game against the Browns? In 15 career regular season games, Manuel has completed less than 60 percent of his passes, averaged fewer than 6.5 yards per attempt, and has compiled a quarterback rating under 80.
Will it be Taylor, who started the game against the Browns and also looked decent? Taylor has completed just 19 passes in his career.
Or, will it be Cassel? A 33-year-old veteran with a career 80.1 quarterback rating, who is now on his fourth NFL team.
Yeah, for some reason, I'm skeptical that this is exactly the scenario Ryan wanted. Regardless, the battle in Buffalo continues when the Bills face the Steelers on Saturday.
