Matt Cassel did not play in the Bills' Week 2 preseason tilt vs. the Browns, and while that indicates he might be the in the lead to be Buffalo's starter in Week 1, it might have also hurt his claim to the job. Bills coach Rex Ryan got a lengthy look at both Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel, and both were impressive.
Taylor, a 2011 sixth-round pick, has drawn praise for his ability as a runner from the quarterback position. Taylor has incredible speed, and it was on display; he rushed for 41 yards on four carries to lead Buffalo's running game. Throwing the ball, Taylor was 7-of-10 for 65 yards.
Cassel, Taylor Clearly Ahead Of Manuel
Manuel, a 2013 first-round pick, is stuck at third on the depth chart right now. He made a strong case for himself in the fourth quarter though, with a game-winning, 86-yard touchdown drive. He finished the night 9-of-14 for 111 yards and one score.
Ryan is refusing to name a starter at this point in the preseason, and plans on taking this QB competition down to the wire.
Matt Cassel No Lock To Make Roster
"We don't need to tell them. Until the league makes us tell them we can go right up there and say we're not going to say anything. We may know. But why would we say any different?"
That's why Cassel not playing was strange. Usually established starters play very limited snaps, or none at all, to avoid catastrophic injuries in action that does not affect standings or playoff positioning. Cassel is not an entrenched starter by any means though; in fact, during OTAs ESPN's Mike Rodak was predicting Cassel would be cut. For the Bills' next game, Cassel should be given a chunk of playing time, but will it be at the expense of Manuel or Taylor? All three need the work; Taylor and Cassel are new to the team, while Manuel clearly has to sharpen his skills.
Ryan's decision to not play Cassel, and not allow him to show what he can do while Taylor and Manuel both went out and looked effective, could end up hurting Cassel's standing when it's decision time.
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