Bills notebook: QB injuries will force Brohm under center
Published: December 21, 2009, 11:05 pm
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The Brian Brohm era is at hand for the Buffalo Bills.
With starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and backup Trent Edwards both suffered ankle injuries in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the New England Patriots, Brohm is expected to get his first NFL start against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, a league source said. Interim coach Perry Fewell offered few details Monday on the severity of the injuries to Fitzpatrick and Edwards, but the source said Edwards suffered a high ankle sprain. Such an injury takes several weeks to heal. The Bills have two games remaining.
Neither Edwards nor Fitzpatrick were in the locker room Monday to comment. A pair of crutches rested in Fitzpatrick's locker. ESPN reported Tuesday that Edwards will miss the rest of the season.
A lot of fans and media have been calling for Brohm to play since he was signed off the Green Bay Packers' practice squad on Nov. 19. In an online poll at buffalonews.com, Brohm received 86 percent of the first 100 votes in a poll asking fans who they wanted to see start Sunday, if all quarterbacks were healthy.
Fewell said recently that Brohm didn't know the offense well enough to run if effectively. Fewell said the primary focus in the season's final two games will not shift to getting extra playing time for the team's inexperienced veterans, including second-year receivers James Hardy and Steve Johnson.
But with the Bills officially eliminated from the playoffs, a lot of people believe the time has come to see what Brohm can do now so he is not as big of a mystery going into next season.
Brohm has yet to take any snaps with the offense during practice, instead running the scout team. But he's an intriguing prospect, one who was drafted in the second round by the Packers in 2008.
Asked if Brohm would get more snaps Wednesday given the injury situation at quarterback, Fewell again was evasive on Monday.
"We'll determine that on Wednesday," he said. "We have to see where these other guys are and then we'll have a plan."
All signs point to Brohm being under center this week.
Fitzpatrick has not impressed since replacing Edwards as the starter five weeks ago. Fitzpatrick was benched early in the fourth quarter on Sunday because he couldn't move the offense.
But Edwards was hurt four plays into his first appearance since getting benched late in the Bills' blowout loss at Tennessee on Nov. 15. His injury occurred when he was bent over backward on a sack by Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain early in the fourth quarter.
Fitzpatrick returned for the next offensive series, but he also was injured on a first-down sack by Tully Banta-Cain, who fell on Fitzpatrick's right foot, midway through the fourth quarter. His throws seemed to float after being hurt as he had noticeable discomfort planting his foot.
Cornerback Terrence McGee will have season-ending surgery on his injured right shoulder on Wednesday, according to a source.
McGee has been wearing a sling after hurting his shoulder in the third quarter during a collision with Patriots receiver Randy Moss on Sunday.
McGee appeared to have a shot at an interception before Moss came in.
"Randy just came out of nowhere and we collided and it just felt like a truck hit my arm," McGee said.
McGee was in considerable pain after the game, and wasn't feeling much better Monday. A magnetic resonance imaging exam Monday morning revealed damage that makes surgery necessary.
"Putting on deodorant this morning was hard," he said.
This puts an end to a frustrating season for McGee, who missed three games after having arthroscopic knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus during the Bills' bye week.
He actually was injured before the bye, but played in three games before having surgery and performed well against talented receivers like Braylon Edwards of the New York Jets, Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers and Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans.
Linebacker Bryan Scott suffered a concussion during the game.
Even though he has reinjured his ankle twice this season, it looks like running back Michael Turner will try and play for Atlanta on Sunday, despite the Falcons being eliminated from postseason contention.
Falcons coach Mike Smith told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday that Turner began his rehabilitation and will do whatever possible to take the field Sunday.
jskurski@buffnews.com, awilson@buffnews.com
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