It's not official, but all signs point to Nathan Peterman starting for Bills Sunday

• Doug Whaley got a GM interview in Cleveland, but there's no way he was getting that job.
• Former Bills coach Doug Marrone now has a bologn sandwich named after him in Jacksonville.
• Rookie WR Brandon Reilly should be given the chance to contribute on offense for the Bills.

ORCHARD PARK – As expected, Bills coach Sean McDermott did not divulge Friday morning who his starting quarterback will be for Sunday’s game at New Era Field. Not that the Colts, or anyone else, doesn’t know who it will be.

Tyrod Taylor has practiced on a limited basis all three days this week, his knee is still sore and causing him to limp, and McDermott’s attempt at subterfuge is for naught: Nathan Peterman has taken all the first-team reps and it would be utterly shocking if he’s not the starter in a game the Bills must win if they hope to entertain any further thoughts about staying alive in the AFC wild-card playoff chase.

I’m fine with it, because to me, nothing has really changed at One Bills Drive. Just as was the case when McDermott benched Taylor prior to the Chargers game for sub-par play, Taylor has continued to lag since he was reinstated at halftime of that game in Los Angeles.

The benching did not light a fire under Taylor, nor did it elicit a sudden resurgence in his performance. He passed for 183 yards and produced only 16 points in the win at Kansas City, and he had an embarrassingly low 65 yards in three quarters and managed one field goal in the loss last week to New England. 

He’s the same guy who can’t execute a functional passing game when he’s healthy let alone with a bad knee that will reduce his mobility, so I’d rather watch Peterman get another shot, especially in a game where the odds won’t be completely stacked against him.

Peterman was sent out to Los Angeles to play against a Chargers team that was red-hot, against a defense that was ferocious in the pass rush and was ranked (at the time) 11th in pass defense, and now is fifth. The Chargers have stud players throughout their defense, and they also have an offense that was way too good for the Buffalo defense, an offense that we all knew would score points, which only increased the pressure on Peterman to perform.

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None of this will be the case Sunday against the Colts because the Colts stink. They stink on offense, they stink on defense, and unless the expected snowy weather makes it too difficult to have success through the air, Peterman will be in a much better situation to show what he can do.

I thought last week’s one-quarter cameo against the Patriots was important for Peterman. It got his feet back on the ground after the disaster in Los Angeles and he threw 15 passes without an interception, a good jolt for his confidence. 

The timing of Peterman’s NFL debut in Los Angeles was certainly questionable, but I backed McDermott’s decision to make the switch because it was clear he had come to the same conclusion after nine games that I’d come to after 2 ½ years: Taylor isn’t good enough to take the Bills to the playoffs.

It blew up in his face, no one can deny that. However, I remain steadfast in my belief that while Taylor wouldn’t have thrown five picks, and the Bills wouldn’t have lost 54-24, there was no way Taylor was beating the Chargers that day. Maybe it would have been 31-17, or something like that. Who cares? It still would have been a loss, so no, that decision by McDermott is not the one that will probably cost the Bills a playoff berth.

What will cost them a playoff berth is that this roster still isn’t talented enough in so many areas, quarterback first and foremost. I give credit to McDermott and the players because despite all the predictions for Buffalo being a four- or five-win team this season, it will very likely go into the final week of the season still “in the hunt” in the playoff race.

Whether Peterman will ever become the Bills’ long-term answer at quarterback is uncertain. I tend to think he’s not, but for now, he’s the player I’d rather watch, and he’s the player who should be out there Sunday afternoon.

Taking my shots

► The Steelers and the Bengals need to hug it out and get past their dangerous hostilities. Their game Monday night was brutal, even for the NFL, and it just seems like every time these two teams play each other, they’re trying to kill each other. There’s nothing wrong with fierce, physical rivalries; the sport was built on games like that. But this one has gotten out of hand and players are getting seriously hurt. That’s not good.

► New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees became the latest player to openly criticize the NFL’s insistence on playing Thursday night games in the wake of the Saints 20-17 loss to the Falcons. “It’s 100 percent a product of playing on Thursday night,” Brees said. “Do you understand what guys’ bodies go through in a game? And then to have to turn around four days later and to play? Look at the injury studies: They’re off the charts. They’re off the charts. So is this smart as it pertains to guys’ health and safety? No, absolutely not.” I agree. I loathe Thursday night football.

► Ex-Bills coach Doug Marrone has hit the big time in Jacksonville. Not only does he have the Jaguars in a solid position to make the playoffs, he now has a sandwich named after him. Marrone, who has a penchant for bologna, can now wolf down the Marroney Bologna sandwich at a cost of six bucks. It’s thick-sliced bologna and American cheese on paisano artisan bread. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the sandwiches at the stadium will benefit the Jaguars Foundation.

► I would have to imagine the Cleveland Browns’ interviewing Doug Whaley for their vacant general manager position was merely to fulfill the NFL’s Rooney Rule which stipulates that minority candidates must be included in the process to replace coaches and front office personnel. How could Whaley possibly be on some team’s radar for a GM position?  Not surprisingly, Whaley didn’t get the job; John Dorsey will replace the fired Sashi Brown.

If it were up to me …

Not only would rookie wide receiver Brandon Reilly be active against the Colts, I’d try to incorporate him into the offensive game plan because of all the receivers on the roster, he may have the closest connection with expected starter Nathan Peterman.

While Taylor was throwing to the receivers on the 53-man roster during practice the first 12 weeks, Reilly was Peterman’s go-to guy on the scout team, and both players acknowledged they have a good rapport with one another. Thus, wouldn’t it behoove the Bills to utilize that familiarity against a porous Colts defense that will have, in passing situations, three rookie cornerbacks on the field at the same time?

Kelvin Benjamin and Zay Jones will start, but there’s no way anyone can convince me that Deonte Thompson, Andre Holmes or Brandon Tate would be a better fit as the third receiver in this game over Reilly. Given Buffalo’s horrific passing game, would it really hurt to give Reilly some meaningful snaps?

The Tyrod Taylor Report

Each week, I take a look back at how Taylor performed in the previous game and give him a grade. In the loss to the Patriots, it was a big, fat, F.

It was a brutal performance by Taylor, injury or not. He threw for 65 yards in three quarters of action, and that doesn’t get it done on any level. It was odd because he didn’t seem limited by the knee injury he suffered on the first play. His struggles had much more to do with the same things that always hold him back: Too slow to pull the trigger, unwillingness to take chances, poor ball placement, and not getting much help from a below-average group of receivers and a below-average play-caller.

Obviously, his worst play of the day was the interception at the goal line that killed the first drive and seemed to set the tone for the rest of the game on offense. That’s not a mistake Taylor usually makes, so that was a surprise. It just looked like he misread LeSean McCoy’s route, and then he was bumped just as he made the throw and the result was disastrous.

After that, it was as inefficient and ineffective a performance as Taylor has had in nearly three seasons with the Bills.

The numbers game: 125

That’s how many points the Colts have been outscored by this season, second only to the winless Browns who are at minus-132. It’s not hard to understand why – the Colts rank 27th in yards gained and 28th in points scored, while their defense ranks 29th in yards allowed and 32nd in points allowed. This is not a very good team.

Games to watch this week

► Vikings (10-2) at Panthers (8-4): A mammoth game for both teams. Minnesota is tied for the best record in the NFC with the Eagles as they shoot for a first-round bye. Carolina is trying to chase down New Orleans in the NFC South, while also maintaining a strong position in the crowded wild-card hunt. Cam Newton hasn’t been great (16 TDs, 11 picks), and the Vikings defense is outstanding.

► Raiders (6-6) at Chiefs (6-6): The Bills have beaten both these teams, so the inclination is to root against Kansas City because the more losses, the better that first-round draft pick is for Buffalo. The Chiefs are in an amazing free fall, but playing their fiercest rival at home might be enough to wake up them up.

► Eagles (10-2) at Rams (9-3): Big showdown for two of the top three NFC teams. Philadelphia saw its eight-game win streak snapped in Seattle, and now it takes its third-ranked defense to Los Angeles to deal with the Rams’ fourth-ranked offense. This one could be great, a matchup of the top two picks of the 2016 draft, QBs Jared Goff (Rams) and Carson Wentz (Eagles).

MAIORANA@Gannett.com