Could Tyrod Taylor lose his starting job before the New Years Eve Ball drops?
The Buffalo Bills lost their seventh game of the season, in a snow-filled 27-20 thumping at the hands of Le'Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a game that wasn't as close as the score might indicate.
Coach Rex Ryan, sitting squarely on a sizzling seat, was non-committal after the loss when asked whether he would test-drive another quarterback down the stretch.
"We'll see," Ryan replied, complete with an eye roll at the question, per the Buffalo News.
"I don't have any idea, guys," Ryan said following the loss that all but knocked the Bills from playoff contention. "I just got through putting everything into a game that we just got beat. We'll put in everything we have moving forward, but to answer questions about anything else, about rumors or anything else, I think is ridiculous."
Taylor threw for 228 yards with two touchdowns and one interception on Sunday, but most of those hollow stats came in garbage time. The quarterback was 7-of-14 passing for 71 yards and a score in the first three-quarters.
"Left some plays out there," he said. "Definitely didn't play my best. I let the team down a couple plays but gotta move forward. I was about to put some points up in the fourth quarter, but it was just too late."
Taylor called it a "coach's decision" whether he is benched.
The 27-year-old quarterback has never thrown for 300 yards in any of his 27 starts. He's averaged 191.0 passing yards per game this season.
The Bills could take rookie Cardale Jones for a spin in the final three weeks. It's noteworthy that offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn -- who would likely take over the operation if Ryan is fired before the end of the season -- spoke glowingly of Jones last week.
With the futures of both Ryan and Taylor in doubt, it's possible the Bills could finish 2016 with a different coach/quarterback combination before hitting the reset button in 2017.
