ORCHARD PARK, NY - So far in training camp, no quarterback has separated himself over the others. But now that preseason games are here, maybe that will change.
Nathan Peterman got the start in the Bills preseason opener against the Panthers and he was impressive. He was perfect on their first drive and completed all nine passes then capped off the drive with a 28-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin.
Their chemistry was huge to see. This is just what Peterman needed given he hasn't had the best camp. He has not built off the strong mini camp he had in the spring but he came out firing in Thursday's game.
He completed nine of ten passes for 119 yards, a touchdown and interception.
Then A.J. McCarron took over and was solid as well. After getting sacked on his first play, he bounced back and completed seven of ten passes for 116 yards. I expect him to start in next week's second preseason game at Cleveland given the quarterback rotation and McCarron and Peterman keep splitting reps with the starters.
Rookie Josh Allen came in to start the second half which I was happy to see. Earlier in the week, head coach Sean McDermott said they were bringing Allen along slow but nothing is more valuable than game experience and that's exactly what Allen needs.
We saw that inconsistency factor and low completion percentage. He only completed nine of 19 passes for 116 yards and a touchdown but we also saw his biggest strength. He showed off that cannon of an arm. The very first play he threw a 60-yard bomb down the sideline. Granted it was out of bounds but so impressive. That strength is a huge reason the Bills drafted him 7th overall.
Other notes from the Bills' preseason opener:
Marcus Murphy stood out. He had seven carries for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, rookie Harrison Phillips is making the most of his time with the starters. Kyle Williams did not play Thursday so Phillips got the start and recorded his first sack.
Speaking of taking advantage of time, Shaq Lawson knows this is a huge preseason for him. He's working with the first team while Trent Murphy is out with a groin injury. Lawson made a nice play by batting down Cam Newton's pass to end Carolina's first drive of the game.