Jeff Tuel

[Golden Taters]

The Buffalo Bills plan on starting undrafted rookie quarterback Jeff Tuel in their regular-season opener if EJ Manuel cannot play, coach Doug Marrone said Monday.

The Bills host the New England Patriots in their opener on Sept. 8.

If Tuel does indeed start for the Bills in Week 1, he will become the first undrafted rookie quarterback in the common draft era (since 1967) to start a season opener, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Manuel remains sidelined after undergoing a minor procedure on his left knee last week. Marrone said that while he hopes the 16th overall pick will be ready to play in Week 1, the team will make preparations for Tuel to start.

Tuel went 10-for-17 for 63 yards in Saturday's preseason loss to the Washington Redskins, replacing Kevin Kolb, who left with a concussion that now has him sidelined indefinitely.

The Bills are proceeding as though Kolb's concussion, which was termed "serious," could be career-ending, a league source told ESPN.

Kolb will undergo a battery of tests, and the Bills do not want to rush him back even if he can continue his career, the source said.

The Bills signed free-agent quarterback Matt Leinart and traded with the Detroit Lions for quarterback Thad Lewis on Sunday.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter contributed to this report

http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp13/story/_/id/9601766/buffalo-bills-plan-start-jeff-tuel-qb-week-1

Go Cougs

[Woy]

COUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGS

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

The Miracle Dream Season is ON!

[JeremyHight]

Watch Manuel make a miracle recovery in time to dash our hopes of a Coug playoff run.

[JimLeavy59]

He was a beast in my NCAA 13 dynasty

[ram29jackson]

[Golden Taters]

This looks like it belongs in a Nike ad.

[JimLeavy59]

[Golden Taters]

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?!!?!?

[Mogriffjr]

DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?!!?!?

[ram29jackson]

that's so wrong lol

[CrimsonGhost56]

tuel time =

After Josh Freeman agreed to join the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday night, the Buffalo Bills went into Monday still in search of a quarterback to fill in for the injured EJ Manuel. They now have their guy.

The team announced Monday that Thad Lewis will be activated off the practice squad to start Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"Thad gives us the best chance," coach Doug Marrone said. "We're going to give him an opportunity to see what he has."

The move comes four days after Manuel went down with a knee injury in Thursday's loss to the Cleveland Browns. Undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel came off the bench and struggled mightily. It was clear Tuel wasn't an option to start in Week 6.

The team feels comfortable enough with Lewis, 25, who spent the past two seasons in Cleveland and was serviceable last December in one start for the Browns, a loss to the Steelers. The Detroit Lions grabbed him next before trading him to the Bills in April.

Lewis knows the system. The Bills want to see if his work in practice and meetings will pay off before they add another passer to the mix. Had Buffalo landed Freeman, it would have given the team a more viable option, but it also would have created a potential controversy under center. Starting Lewis -- at least for a week -- makes sense.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000258139/article/thad-lewis-will-start-for-buffalo-bills-at-quarterback

[Aso]

So the practice squad QB gives the team a better chance to win than the guy who's been the #2 on the team throughout the season? Interesting to me but Tuel clearly didn't play well.

[Bomberooski]

Go Cougs