Buffalo Bills Need Tyrod Taylor Healthy, Sharp to Make Playoff Run

Losing to the undefeated New England Patriots on the road is unlikely to haunt the Buffalo Bills. The concern is the play and the health of starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor.

While the Bills became just another victim for the Patriots this season, this was much different than what we have seen from the now 10-0 team. The offense—which entered the day No. 1 in the NFL at 33.7 points per game—was held in check in a 20-13 win. Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan made a game plan to get to Tom Brady, and the defense responded with constant pressure from start to finish. Although the quarterback was only officially sacked one time, it was clear this made an impact.

Not only were the Patriots limited to a season low of 20 points scored, but the seven punts were also the most in 2015. 

If not for a few mistakes (like a missed tackle on a touchdown before the half and a blown coverage to set up the second touchdown), this could have been a much different game. In any case, it's clear the defense did its job Monday night.

On the other hand, the offense was nothing short of a disappointment, and a lot of that falls squarely on the shoulders of Taylor.

The quarterback finished the game 20-of-36 passing for 233 yards with zero touchdown passes, adding up to a season-low quarterback rating of 75.4. The usually mobile player also ended up with only one rushing yard on four attempts while struggling to get anywhere on the few designed runs.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

One of the major issues was Taylor's inability to throw the ball down the field, something that had been one of his strengths for much of the season. According to Pro Football Focus, the quarterback entered Week 11 completing 12 of his 27 passes over 20 yards, totaling 435 yards and six touchdowns with only two interceptions. He could not replicate this success against New England.

Taylor especially struggled to get on the same page with Sammy Watkins, completing just three passes for 39 yards. Two of those catches came on the final drive with the Patriots defense giving up a lot of space to avoid a potential game-tying touchdown. Amazingly, the talented receiver wasn't even targeted in the first half.

When the star player was targeted, the passes weren't great, as noted by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

Taylor certainly made good plays, including a well-placed ball in the end zone that LeSean McCoy couldn't bring in for a touchdown. He also had times when he escaped the pocket and found receivers down the field for big gains. However, he seemingly just as often lacked awareness within the pocket to either take a sack or run away from no one.

While many of the issues can be overlooked as simply a bad game in an otherwise breakout season, the next biggest concern for the Bills is whether or not their quarterback is healthy. Taylor took a big hit and landed on his shoulder late, leading to some struggles with arm strength down the stretch.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports discussed the positives and negatives Bills fans were probably feeling watching along:

Head coach Rex Ryan even admitted after the game he considered making a switch at quarterback, per Albert Breer of NFL Network:

Even with Taylor's issues in Week 11, the Bills do not want to have to go back to EJ Manuel at quarterback. The former first-round pick lost both of his starts this season while filling in for the injured starter, falling to 6-10 overall in the NFL. His 78.5 career passer rating tells the story of a player who struggled with accuracy and decision-making while doing very little to help his team win.

The Bills are currently 5-5 and in position to potentially reach the postseason thanks mostly to the play of Taylor. Obviously, the defense showed Monday night it can be an elite unit that puts the team in position to win. On offense, players like Watkins, McCoy and Karlos Williams have proven they can be dangerous playmakers when healthy. However, Buffalo's fate this year will come down to the quarterback position.

Taylor has not only been an exciting player to watch thanks to his dynamic running ability, he has also been an accurate passer who is not afraid to make plays down the field. The Bills will need this quarterback to show up every week for the rest of the season if they want to beat good teams and contend for a playoff spot.

Otherwise, this will be the 16th year in a row Buffalo will be at home watching the postseason.

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