Tyrod Taylor is back just in time to keep the Bills’ playoff hopes alive

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor missed the Bills’ Week 14 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts because of a knee injury. Now, he’ll return to the starting lineup this week against the Miami Dolphins, the team announced Friday.

What happened? Taylor suffered a patellar contusion against the Patriots in Week 13 and was listed as day-to-day heading into the Bills’ matchup against the Colts. Unfortunately for the Bills, Taylor wasn’t healthy enough to play — so backup quarterback Nathan Peterman got the nod at quarterback.

But even though the Bills defeated the Colts in Week 14 without Taylor, Peterman suffered a concussion in the third quarter and didn’t return to action. Emergency quarterback Joe Webb, who played receiver and spent time on the special teams unit, finished the game under center. Peterman was immediately placed into the NFL’s concussion protocol.

On Monday, head coach Sean McDermott told the Bills’ team website that Taylor “has made progress over the last couple of days.”

”That’ll be a day-to-day thing as we move forward into this week,” McDermott said.

Taylor was able to practice fully on both Wednesday and Thursday, which was a good sign.

Why is this important? It’s great to see Taylor back under center for the Buffalo Bills. At 7-6, the Bills currently hold the sixth seed in the AFC playoff picture. And this team needs Taylor to lead them to the postseason.

If Buffalo wants to remain in the playoff hunt, the offensive line has to do a better job of keeping Taylor upright. The Bills cannot afford another quarterback injury, especially against a Dolphins team that is coming off a huge win against the New England Patriots.

At 6-7, the Dolphins are also alive in the playoff chase. If the Bills want to knock off their division rival, they must provide a clean pocket for Taylor. The Dolphins’ pass rush made life difficult for Tom Brady, who was sacked two times and tossed two interceptions. Buffalo’s offensive linemen will have their work cut out for them this week.