There are many reasons for the Buffalo Bills’ lack of sustained success for the past couple decades, but the team’s handling of the quarterback position has to be one of the more all-encompassing explanations. After Jim Kelly retired following the 1996 season, the team has cycled through starting passers like a Spotify playlist left on shuffle. The question is, what was the team’s worst mistake?
NFL.com’s Ali Bhanpuri thinks he has the answer. In an article detailing each AFC East’s history at the position, he declares that EJ Manuel was the team’s biggest mistake at QB.
This is a tough one between Manuel and J.P. Losman, but I’m going Manuel here because he was a higher draft pick (No. 16 overall vs. No. 22) and his stats are almost indefensible. In fairness to Manuel, the Bills should never have drafted him in Round 1, and thus, he should never have had the expectations that come with being a top pick. That said, Manuel, who recently announced he’s retiring from the NFL, never started more than 10 games in a season and was out of Buffalo after four years.
As Bhanpuri says, it’s largely a two-horse race between Manuel and Losman, although some may say Rob Johnson deserves a mention for costing the team a decent salary along with a first-round pick that was traded to acquire him. It’s difficult to compare the two statistically as Losman was given 33 starting opportunities with them team while Manuel was only handed 17, with the majority coming in his rookie year. Having said that, their completion percentages are similar, with Losman coming in at 59% and Manuel with 58% according to Pro Football Reference. Where they truly differ is in their yardage output. Losman had a 3000-yard season in 2006, while Manuel only put up 1972 yards in 2013.
The failure of both first-round prospects put Buffalo in precarious situations, but history has perhaps proven that the Bills were much worse off after Losman moved on. After that point, the team wandered through the quarterback wilderness with Kelly Holcomb and Trent Edwards before seeing a slight glimmer of hope in Ryan Fitzpatrick. Manuel’s departure led directly to the team lucking into Tyrod Taylor, who successfully broke a playoff drought and whose own departure led to the team’s current starter in Josh Allen.
Poll
Who was the biggest QB mistake of the last 50 years for the Bills?
This poll is closed
-
4%
Heir apparent 2nd rounder Todd Collins
-
30%
1st rounder plus big salary to Rob Johnson
-
37%
Using 2nd round and future 1 to nab J.P. Losman
-
23%
EJ Manuel after a trade down
-
3%
Other (name in comments)