For the first time in a long time, the Buffalo Bills enter the upcoming season with no question who the starting quarterback will be. However, the position group as a whole is lacking in experience, which could be problematic in 2019.
After an exciting rookie season from quarterback Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills have to feel confident about the direction the quarterback position is heading. The former first round pick is firmly entrenched as the team’s starting quarterback and the hope is that he will build off last year with a much better supporting cast.
However, head coach Sean McDermott, general manager Brandon Beane and the rest of the Bills’ front office has not adequately addressed the ‘What if?’. The big question, and one that could derail a season with playoff aspirations, is what if the Bills lose Josh Allen for an extended period of time?
The Bills are entering this upcoming season with three quarterbacks on the roster (Allen, Matt Barkley, and Tyree Jackson) who combine for only 18 starts. The team’s likely backup, Matt Barkley, only has one start the past two seasons and while it was an impressive performance against the New York Jets, the depth at the position doesn’t instill great confidence.
The lack of experience could be tested with Josh Allen’s running style, as it was last year when the former first round pick missed time in the middle of the season. The Bills organization consistently draws parallels to the Carolina Panthers and this is one area that they could have benefited from taking note.
The Panthers always had a veteran quarterback behind their mobile quarterback, Cam Newton, in the form of Derek Anderson. This type of experienced quarterback was invaluable to the Panthers and even helped save the 2014 season when they went 7-8-1 but made the playoffs. This was due in large part to Anderson starting two games for the Panthers and coming away with wins.
Now, experience alone doesn’t guarantee that the backup quarterback will be able to step in and lead a team to a win. Unfortunately, most teams won’t know until they are in that situation that the quarterback will need to go from the sideline to under center.
However, the coaching staff must keep a close eye on this position through training camp and preseason and if specifically, Barkley struggles, the team must be willing to go out and look for that veteran. That player that can sit behind Josh Allen and if, or when, the need arises he can step into this offense and keep the offense afloat.