On Nate Peterman

Way, way back on December 17, 2016, I wrote the following in this space about Pitt quarterback Nate Peterman:

The Pitt Panthers will be taking on Northwestern on December 28 in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York.  I didn't want to let the season end without saying a few words about senior quarterback Nate Peterman.

Peterman came to Pitt as a transfer from Tennessee one or two head coaches/offensive coordinators ago, and became the full time starter early in 2015.  In those two seasons, Peterman's performance has often been overshadowed by guys like James Conner, Tyler Boyd, and Quadree Henderson, but it needs to be noted that he has been a solid and good to very good performer at the most important position on the field for Pitt.  In 2016, he passed for 2,602 yards, for 26 TDs and only 6 INTs while completing 59.7% of his passes.  He also rushed for 291 yards, a 4.2 yard average, and scored two TDs.

Peterman was certainly no Dan Marino or Matt Cavanaugh, and maybe not even Alex Van Pelt, but he was, as a I said a very good QB for Pitt in his time here.  I have no idea as to whether or not he has the goods to make it in the NFL, but I do know that the Panthers have some very big shoes to fill at quarterback when spring practice rolls around.

Here's hoping for a big game for Nate Peterman in his final game at Yankee Stadium in two weeks, and for a great future for him in any endeavor he chooses.

I will stand by those words that I wrote back then.  Peterman was a solid to quite good QB for Pitt, and, in fact, no one who has played the position in the subsequent season and one-half has adequately filled his shoes.  However, things have not gone well for Peterman in his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills.  He was thrown into start a game for the Bills early in the season last year way before he was ready or properly prepared by his coaches, and it was a disastrous five interception game.   Things have not gone much better for him in Buffalo since then, and although he is still with the Bills, his name has become pretty much a national punchline among pro football observers.

As I said, you can make a case that he has not been served well by the coaches up in Buffalo, but his performance also points out that the difference between high level college football and the NFL is so vast that only the very best of those players can make it on the big stage.

But, hey, call me a cockeyed optimist, but I'm still hoping that it can work out for Nate Peterman somewhere in the NFL.