If it serves as any consolation to Bills fans, quarterback Tyrod Taylor has been approaching his first career start like an experienced veteran.
In a thorough piece about his preparation from WGR 550 in Buffalo, we get a thorough sense of Taylor's comfort level in the league. Though he was planted firmly behind Joe Flacco waiting patiently for his chance, there's nothing starry-eyed or naive about him.
"I haven't really had the chance to sit back and just think about how everything's gonna play out," Taylor said in the piece, linked above. "Just more so focused on going out there executing, doing the things I've been coached to do and just go out there and be myself."
Though this sounds like a banal platitude, and certainly something Taylor may have picked up from Flacco along the way, it also exudes the type of confidence Rex Ryan admired in Taylor from the beginning.
Just look at what Taylor said when he was named the starter two weeks ago:
"My preparation and approach to the game has been the same since I came into the league. Whether I was behind Joe (Flacco) or not. I have always prepared as if I was the starter. Because you never know when that happens. When an injury could happen and you have to go in the game you don't want the level of play to fall off from the head guy to the next guy. So as far as my approach, my attention to detail throughout a weekly basis has been the same and I am going to continue to that approach moving forward."
We're fascinated with Taylor because he represents a rare, promising unknown. He sparkled in the preseason and was brought up in one of the great organizations in football. He fits the vision laid out by offensive coordinator Greg Roman and his athletic talent may be enough to negate some of the deficiencies the Bills clearly have on offense.
So forgive us for being excited about boring athlete-speak for one week, because it actually sounds interesting coming from Taylor. It sounds like he's been here before.
