The Buffalo Bills named their starting quarterback early Monday morning, and it isn’t rookie Josh Allen. Nathan Peterman, the second-year man out of the University of Pittsburgh, will start at quarterback when the Bills take on the Baltimore Ravens on September 9.
Peterman had a fantastic preseason, completing 80.5% of his passes (33-for-41). He totaled 431 yards passing, throwing 3 touchdowns against 1 interception. Eight of his passes went for more than 20 yards, and he only took two sacks behind a porous offensive line that has struggled to pass-protect all summer.
Peterman’s career began rather inauspiciously, as his debut included five interceptions against the Los Angeles Chargers last season. As a rookie, he completed 25-of-52 passes for 266 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions. Those numbers include a relief appearance in the playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Peterman will start ahead of the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Josh Allen. Thought by many to be a developmental project who needed time sitting at the NFL level, Allen will be able to watch and learn to begin the year. Two strong preseason performances led him to start the “dress rehearsal” game against the Cincinnati Bengals, where he performed quite poorly. Overall, he completed 24-of-44 passes on the preseason, a 54.5% completion rate, for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Bills traded the only other quarterback on their roster, veteran free agent signee AJ McCarron, to the Oakland Raiders over the weekend.