Fans looking for an answer to who will start at quarterback for the Buffalo Bills will have to wait until the season opener.
EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel and Tyrod Taylor were all sharp in Buffalo’s 43-19 preseason win over the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers at Ralph Wilson Stadium this evening.
The trio combined to go 25 of 28 (89.3%) for 330 yards and two touchdowns.
And head coach Rex Ryan isn’t about to let the cat out of the bag earlier than he has to.
“But to me it’s not a problem,” Ryan said. “All three guys had a tremendous preseason and that’s all you can ask. We’ll address it at the appropriate time but obviously I feel good about all of them.”
Manuel started the game and got a little help from veteran Fred Jackson to set the tone, as Jackson, returning from injury, took his first carry of the preseason for 41 yards and later cashed in from one-yard out two plays later to give the Bills an early lead.
On their next drive, Manuel dropped back in the pocket before stepping up and delivering a beautifully lofted pass to tight end Charles Clay, who found himself wide open down the seam behind the safeties for a 67-yard score.
Manuel left the game after those two drives with the starters, leaving the game with a perfect passer rating.
“I don’t know, we’ll see.” Manuel said when asked if he did enough to win the job. “It’s coach’s decision, but I know I played well, so we’ll see.”
Cassel was in next, and looked his usual, reliable self, completing short passes and moving the team down the field in an effective manner. He finished the night 6 of 7 for 38 yards on his two drives.
“I don’t know that,” Cassel said when asked if he did enough to earn the job. “I honestly can’t answer that question. I can’t give you an answer of yes, I completely feel like I’m confident that they are going to go my direction.”
“I don’t have any doubts personally of course, but at the same time it comes down to the coaching staff, and what they feel.”
Taylor was the third man in, but made the most of his chances. He showed he is still the Bills most electrifying quarterback athletically, doing it both through the air (12 of 13 for 122 yards) and with his legs (scoring a 20-yard touchdown run on his only attempt).
“I’m confident in the way I have been playing,” Taylor said. “But all I can focus on is what I do out there on the field.”
So when exactly is a choice going to be made?
“Probably tomorrow,” Ryan said. “We’ll make the decision, but I won’t announce it.”
“I don’t know if everyone thought we were going to have this scenario,” Ryan said. “When we said we wanted all three guys to play well, play to their abilities. I think that’s exactly what we’ve seen.”
