The Buffalo Bills have officially named veteran quarterback Derek Anderson as their starter for their Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts with rookie Josh Allen ruled out due to an elbow injury.
Coach McDermott: "Josh Allen has an elbow sprain. There is no plan for surgery but he will be week-to-week. Derek Anderson will be our starting QB this week." #GoBills pic.twitter.com/cPRRMknh9r
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 17, 2018
Allen suffered the injury in last week's loss to the Houston Texans and is expected to miss 2-3 games.
Anderson, who was just signed last week to serve as a mentor for Allen, got the nod over Nathan Peterman. The second-year QB struggled in relief of Allen against the Texans as he went 6-of-12 for 61 yards with two interceptions. There was speculation that McDermott risked losing the locker room if he turned to Peterman once again.
Anderson, 35, is now set to make his first start since December 2016 against the Seahawks, when he was still with the Panthers. However, he only started as a disciplinary measure for Cam Newton. Anderson ended up playing just one play and threw an interception before being replaced by Newton.
Anderson spent seven seasons in Carolina, going 2-2 in four starts. He played in 25 games overall, completing 66 percent of his passes for 1,265 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions.
He spent his first four years in the league with the Cleveland Browns, where he earned a Pro Bowl berth after leading the team to a 10-6 record. He also spent a sole season with the Arizona Cardinals in 2010.
Anderson will have a relatively easy first assignment in the Colts, who have struggled against the pass this season. They are allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 73 percent of their passes, the second-highest mark in the league as well as 280 pass yards allowed per game, which is 26th.
Follow Us
Subscribe