Buffalo Bills had to move to Nathan Peterman if they were sticking with Rick Dennison

The Buffalo Bills made the much-discussed decision to move on from quarterback Tyrod Taylor this week, inserting Nathan Peterman into the lineup. It was the right move to make, even if the timing was very, very odd.

The timing is at the center of my thoughts on the switch. Head coach Sean McDermott said staunchly on Sunday that Taylor was the starter. After watching the game tape, he said the same thing on Monday. So why switch on Tuesday?

I think Rick Dennison is the answer. Dennison’s offense and Taylor were a poor match from the start and he had finally had enough after seeing Peterman execute against a real defense. Dennison went to McDermott and asked to make the switch and McDermott didn’t stand in the way. I don’t have inside info on it, I just think the timing suggests it. If McDermott was thinking about making the switch before that, he would have opened the door in his statements.

McDermott is clearly behind the long-term vision Dennison is trying to instill and is willing to work with him through the process, even if it means benching a good quarterback who just doesn’t fit in the new philosophy. The decision wasn’t about Tyrod, it was about the offensive coordinator, and Peterman fits Dennison’s vision better.