QB Taylor on course to return as starter
The Buffalo Bills are coming off an epic 13-7 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts in a driving snowstorm. Next up are the Dolphins in a game Miami badly needs to keep its playoff hopes alive.
Bills coach Sean McDermott talked with the South Florida media Wednesday, but moments before he did, the Bills tweeted about their quarterback situation, which was clouded because Tyrod Taylor is coming off a knee injury and Nate Peterman sustained a concussion last Sunday. In the tweet, McDermott says, “Tyrod has made some progress. He’ll get most of the work in practice today. When healthy, Tyrod is our starter. Nate Peterman remains in the concussion protocol.”
But when asked about that by the South Florida media, McDermott tried to keep things closer to the vest.
“We’re still working through that right now,” he said. “It’s a day-to-day situation right now.”
Later, Taylor showed no signs of being limited by the bruised tendon in practicing fully for the first time since being sidelined during a loss to New England on Dec. 3. He spoke as if he expected to start when the host Bills (7-6) try to stay ahead of the Dolphins (6-7) in the AFC East.
Here are other highlights of what McDermott said:
■ On the Dolphins’ offense without Jay Ajayi (who had two 200-yard games vs. the Bills): “I think they’re operating at a high level. I understand what Ajayi has done over the years. I think the backs, (Kenyon) Drake in particular has been phenomenal. He runs hard.”
■ On carrying the weight of the Bills’ playoff drought: “When I signed my name on the dotted line, I owned it. So even though I wasn’t here, I understand as much as I can for not being here what goes along with that in 17 years. That said, as our team, the 2017 version of the Buffalo Bills, we have to focus on what we’re doing and how we’re moving forward to move toward our vision as a football team.”
■ On the intensity of the rivalry with the Dolphins: “We try to play up to a certain standard regardless of our opponent, with all due respect. We start off every week with a healthy respect for each and every opponent. And I want to know our players understand what’s expected when they take the field. It’s to play within the rules and play a good physical game, and I’m sure that they on their end expect to do the same.”
■ On the winning touchdown run by LeSean McCoy vs. the Colts last week and ex-Dolphins guard Richie Incognito’s role in it: “It was a good play call by Rick Dennison, our offensive coordinator. And it starts up front, like it does every week. Richie’s a big part of our offensive line, got a key block for us, moved his feet well and the rest was up to LeSean to finish it off there, which he did.”
■ On the biggest challenge of being a first-year coach: “There are new challenges every week sometimes that come up some time, and the first time is the first time. Great example was this last weekend: my first overtime game. You say that was a first. Coaching in the snow, in 8 inches of snow, was a challenge. Obviously, I didn’t have to run in it, which was a good thing. But those are new experiences, that as much as you prepare sometimes, but until you’ve gone through it the first time, you haven’t really gone through it.”
■ On how he’ll look back at the conditions his team plays under and how the Bills are paying the public $11 per hour to help shovel snow out of the stadium: “The cool part about our place here is we’ve had a ton of people, our staff, volunteers from the community in the Buffalo area, come out and lend a hand getting the stadium ready to play, last week and this week . ... That’s one of the untold stories out there. I think it really embodies who we are as a community, who we are as a team and it’s really, to me, pretty cool.”