The Nathan Peterman era in Buffalo appears to be over. Bills coach Sean McDermott announced on Wednesday that journeyman veteran Derek Anderson will start at quarterback for the Bills' Week 7 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Rookie starter Josh Allen sustained an elbow injury last Sunday and will miss some time over the next few weeks, but is not expected to need surgery. Peterman opened the season as Buffalo's starter before being quickly replaced by Allen, and also relieved Allen after he exited Sunday's game against the Texans.
Sean McDermott says Josh Allen has an "elbow sprain" and is "week-to-week". Derek Anderson starts Week 7.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) October 17, 2018
Bills QB Josh Allen (elbow) has no plan for surgery but is out this week, per coach Seam McDermott. Derek Anderson will start.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 17, 2018
The Bills' original plan when signing Anderson was simply for him to be a mentor for Allen, but after Peterman's latest disastrous performance, they will quickly thrust Anderson into the lineup. It makes sense, as putting Peterman on the field has become simply untenable. In six career games (three starts), Peterman has completed just 35 of 79 passes for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He threw back-to-back interceptions late in the game against Houston, including one that turned into a game-winning pick-six.
Anderson is at least familiar with McDermott (and general manager Brandon Beane) from their shared time in Carolina, where Anderson served as the backup to Cam Newton for several seasons. He can at least run a functional NFL offense, even if he does not necessarily have the highest ceiling. Either way, Allen seems likely to re-enter the lineup whenever his elbow has healed. It would not be a surprise if the team officially moved on from Peterman shortly after that.
