By Tim Graham
The Buffalo Bills will face rookie quarterbacks the next two weeks and four times in their next six games: Ryan Tannehill, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Tannehill again.
All of them have played well.
Bills coach Chan Gailey has noticed their maturity.
"You draft them to play them now," Gailey said. "You don't draft them to let them sit. There's a few people that are doing that, but for the most part you're drafting those guys to play.
"They're thrown in there, and they're responding extremely well right now."
Gailey's comments could be a glimpse inside the organizational thinking at One Bills Drive for next year. General Manager Buddy Nix has said he wants to draft a quarterback in 2013.
Of the rookie quarterbacks Buffalo will see the rest of the year, Tannehill has the worst record at 4-5.
He has shown signs of being a franchise quarterback, but he has been a binge interception-thrower. He has completed 59 percent of his throws for 1,979 yards and five touchdowns with nine interceptions.
Tannehill threw three interceptions on opening day, three interceptions combined in Weeks Three and Four and three interceptions in last week's loss to the Tennessee Titans.
Kerry J. Byrne of ColdHardFootballFacts.com examined how successful rookie quarterbacks have been and made a case that Wilson -- not Luck or Robert Griffin III -- is having the best season.
Byrne points out Wilson has recorded four of the top six rookie QB performances this year.
Wilson was a third-round pick in April, 75th overall. The Bills will face Wilson when they meet the Seattle Seahawks in Toronto on Dec. 16.
(Photo: Eric Gay/Associated Press)
