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Factoid

Buffalo quarterbacks

Can Kyle Orton spark Buffalo's passing game?

I thought it was interesting that Buffalo would sign Kyle Orton. Maybe desperate. With EJ Manuel looking awfully indecisive in the preseason – like maybe his confidence is shot – and the team needing to win now, I think they’re bringing in Orton to make a quick change.

They’re not paying him chump change. He’s reportedly getting $5 million. Not bad for a guy who started only one game last year and blew off training camp.

I think the idea going forward is that if Manuel doesn’t make some kind of measurable jump/improvement in the initial games, they’ll stick in Orton and see if he can give the offense a spark. They need to figure out a way to sneak ahead of the Jets and Dolphins. All three of those teams are in the same boat – capable of getting into the playoffs as a wild card but also potentially finishing last, with all the coaches fired at the end of the season.

The Bills drafted Sammy Watkins No. 4 in the draft. Would be nice if they had a quarterback who could get him the ball with any consistency.

Orton had some success when he was with the Broncos (before they went with Tim Tebow). Over the last four years, he’s been an average quarterback statistically when the numbers are adjusted to fit with games played. Since 2010, he’s averaged 268 yards in the 22 games he’s started, with 31 touchdowns. In conventional fantasy scoring, that works out to 19.3 fantasy points per game. That’s better than Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, Ryan Tannehill and Alex Smith, among others.

Here’s the list of all quarterbacks with at least 20 starts in the last four years. (I’ve combined the passing and rushing stats to make the info more presentable.)

QUARTERBACKS PER START SINCE 2010
PlayerStYardsTDsPoints
Drew Brees643212.5926.8
Aaron Rodgers552982.5126.2
Peyton Manning483092.6326.0
Cam Newton482781.9224.9
Michael Vick402881.7024.2
Matthew Stafford513032.0224.0
Tom Brady642892.2223.8
Robert Griffin III282751.5422.9
Andrew Luck322761.7222.5
Tony Romo532771.9422.0
Matt Ryan642741.8421.5
Philip Rivers642751.8121.3
Ben Roethlisberger562721.7020.9
Russell Wilson322341.7820.8
Colin Kaepernick232421.6120.7
Andy Dalton482461.8120.3
Carson Palmer562681.5519.9
Eli Manning642631.6419.9
Ryan Fitzpatrick542451.5719.5
Kyle Orton222681.4119.3
Josh Freeman512481.4519.2
Matt Schaub502571.4418.8
Jay Cutler512331.4918.5
Joe Flacco642391.4418.2
Ryan Tannehill322391.2217.9
Alex Smith502251.4017.8
Brandon Weeden202531.1017.4
Sam Bradford492311.2417.1
Matt Cassel382171.3917.0
Jason Campbell272191.2216.8
Mark Sanchez472101.3816.7
Chad Henne372391.0316.6
Matt Hasselbeck352261.0916.0
Colt McCoy212211.0016.0
Christian Ponder351881.2015.5
Blaine Gabbert27166.8112.1

—Ian Allan

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