So what will be the Buffalo Bills' quarterback rotation tonight? You'll have to attend the game at Ralph Wilson Stadium to find out.

Trent Edwards is expected to start against the Cincinnati Bengals. But who will replace him is a mystery.

Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm have each appeared in one game. Fitzpatrick backed up Edwards in the exhibition opener at Washington, while Brohm sat on the bench. The roles were reversed against Indianapolis last week. Rookie Levi Brown finished up both games.

Head coach Chan Gailey has known the QB pecking order since Tuesday, but refused to let the media in on the secret all week. Only the team knows who will be under center tonight.

Fitzpatrick said after Thursday's practice that he was unaware of Gailey's plans. The players weren't available to the media following the team's walkthrough on Friday.

Whoever follows Edwards could be an indication of which quarterback has the leg up on the No. 2 spot.

Fitzpatrick completed 9 of 14 passes for 61 yards and directed a pair of drives that ended in touchdowns, including a 5-yard scoring toss to rookie receiver David Nelson, in six possessions against to the Redskins. Only one of Brohm's five drives against the Colts ended in points (a field goal), but he went 14 for 21 for 87 yards.

"I can't see a lot of movement in stock one way or the other because they've all done a pretty good job," Gailey said of his quarterbacks. "That's a good thing. Nobody's moved down. Everybody's played well when they've had the opportunity so that's been a positive."

Although Edwards has gotten all the first-team snaps in practice and the games, Gailey insists the starting QB job is an open competition.

He added that he is not ready to make his choice.

"If we say it's open, we've got to let it play out," he said. "I wish we could do it today. It would be easier on everybody. But we're looking at every option that's available and every direction that we want to go. As long as we have that openness about it, we're going to make a good decision, even if it doesn't come until the week of the first game. I don't want it to go that way, but it may be the way it is."

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If you want to see Terrell Owens' return to Buffalo, get your popcorn early. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Owens and the rest of the starters will play only the first half tonight.

The Bengals' secondary has been hit hard by injuries this summer. Safeties Roy Williams (ankle), Tom Nelson (knee) and Chinedum Ndukwe (undisclosed) and cornerbacks Morgan Trent (ankle) and Johnny Sears (pulled muscle) won't play tonight. Williams and Ndukwe are two of the team's top three safeties.

Also out are linebacker Rashad Jeanty (leg), offensive tackle Anthony Collins (foot), DE Robert Geathers (foot) and wide receivers Antonio Bryant (knee) and Maurice Purify (knee).

Bryant was the Bengals' biggest free agent acquisition, signing a four-year, $28 million deal in March. But a surgically repaired knee has kept him off the field all summer and rumors are swirling that he might be released.

awilson@buffnews.comnull