Is Tyrod Taylor a franchise quarterback in Buffalo?
By Erik Stewart.
Everything in football ends up getting some kind of cliche label, something that fans and analysts use to categorize players and make themselves sound more intelligent when talking about the game. There’s plenty of commonly used ones – deep threat, possession receiver, power back, those types of things. Everything and everyone ends up being put into some sort of category.
The most talked about and controversial label is that of the franchise quarterback. It’s a term that gets thrown around all the time, and no starting QB can be discussed without the label being used at one time or another. You’ll hear it in all different ways too. Is Kirk Cousins a franchise QB? It’s clear Ryan Fitzpatrick isn’t a franchise QB. Andy Dalton is becoming a franchise QB. It’s thrown around so much that it’s become an annoyance.
Tyrod Taylor has been a revelation for the Buffalo Bills this season. Quarterback was a major question mark heading into the season, but Taylor has turned it into one of the Bills’ strengths. His combination of athleticism and deep accuracy have fans going crazy in western New York, but every talk show, every bar discussion regarding Taylor ends up ultimately coming down to that one, unnecessary question: Is Tyrod Taylor a franchise quarterback?
Taylor’s stats are very respectable this year. In his 10 games, he’s thrown for 17 touchdowns and run for three more, with only four interceptions, showing how careful he is with the football. His 104.3 QB rating places him fourth in the entire league. He’s got a winning record on the season, going 6-4.
However, Taylor has his faults. He’s failed to throw for 300 yards in a game this season, and is on pace to throw for under 3,000 on the year. The Bills are 0-4 when Taylor attempts more than 30 passes, something the big time passers do almost every single game. There’s still several question marks to Taylor’s name.
These pros and cons are exactly where the problem lies with the labels. The “franchise quarterback” would never throw for under 4,000 yards, let alone under 3,000. He’d definitely average more than two touchdowns a game through the air. Throwing 30 passes in a game would be a low total for Mr. Franchise. That’s, at least, when it comes to analysts.
Taylor may not be the prototypical franchise guy. He isn’t going to throw for 300 yards and five touchdowns every week. However, what Taylor will do is avoid costly mistakes, take shots down the field, and make plays with his legs. He’s already become one of the top deep ball throwers in the NFL. Oh, and above all else, Taylor will win football games, something so many Bills QB’s of the past failed to do.
Taylor is a playmaker that also manages the game. He’s not your stereotypical QB. He’s a short, running style QB that looks more like a WR than a gunslinger, and that’s OK. Everyone is so obsessed with finding the guy that they can call a franchise QB that they fail to appreciate just how good, and how critical, Tyrod Taylor has been to the Bills’ success this year.
So stop asking if Taylor is the guy, if he’s the future, if he’s the “franchise.” Just sit back, watch him sling that deep ball, and enjoy the fact that, for the first time in a long time, the Bills have an exciting, young player lining up under center.
Tyrod Taylor may not get the “franchise” label, but in 2015, Taylor has been the most consistent part of the Buffalo Bills franchise.
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