The Buffalo Bills beat the Cleveland Browns but lost a quarterback in the process. That makes the quarterback competition a two-man race.
The Buffalo Bills picked up their first victory of the preseason. That was the good news. The bad news is that AJ McCarron was injured in the winning effort.
McCarron had an extremely rough go of it as the starter, receiving very minimal protection from the starting offensive line. He left the game after going 3/6 for 12 yards. It turns out he left with more than just a bad outing.
Vic Carucci shared the bad news on Twitter:
#Bills QB AJ McCarron suffered a hairline fracture of the collarbone in the first quarter of tonight's preseason game vs. #Browns, The Buffalo News has learned.
— Vic Carucci (@viccarucci) August 18, 2018
Given this is indeed the case, McCarron’s chances of starting are done. And more than that, it may hurt his chances of staying on the roster. Then again, he is on a cheap contract and could benefit the quarterback room as a veteran.
That is a tough blow for McCarron after he signed his deal here expecting to be the starter. But we will wait and see how it plays out.
The biggest story from this game was the play of Josh Allen. The rookie came in after McCarron and went 9/13 for 60 yards and a touchdown. He showed great pocket presence on his touchdown pass, evading a defender before throwing a strike to Rod Streater.
Nathan Peterman played most of the second half and went 8/10 for 113 yards and a touchdown. It was odd to see him play late after starting the first game but Sean McDermott explained that was to see if Peterman could elevate the players around him.
Sean McDermott told the Bills’ TV broadcast that he wanted to play Nathan Peterman with the third-team offense to see if he would raise the level of play around him. https://t.co/QXGjG1gGEZ
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) August 18, 2018
Aside from the quarterbacks, Nick O’Leary had himself a nice game on offense with a big touchdown reception after the Browns forgot about him on offense. He led the way with 70 receiving yards.
Marcus Murphy was the leading rusher with 39 yards on four carries as he continues his quest to become a fixture on the offense during the regular season.
Jordan Poyer led the way in tackles on defense in a game when the unit was gashed a few times by the Browns offense. This is not ideal, but it is the preseason. It is also a time to remember the Bills didn’t exactly excel against the run in 2017.
Picking up a win in this game is nice, but McCarron’s injury should dominate the headlines throughout the week. If the team is comfortable with Peterman and Allen, there shouldn’t be any major moves. But if Brandon Beane gets nervous it is possible he trades for someone who could potentially slot in as a starter.