Fragen und Antworten » sudden promotion upon arriving at the Buffalo Bills

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- From practice squad to NFL starter: Quarterback Thad Lewis received the surprising news of his sudden promotion upon arriving at the Buffalo Bills facility for team meetings Monday. Shortly before 8 a.m., coach Doug Marrone pulled Lewis aside to inform him to get ready to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. "He just told me, Youre starting," Lewis told The Associated Press. "He gave me the nod, so I have to go out and do my best with it." A day after working out free agents Pat White and Dennis Dixon, and losing out to Minnesota in a bid to sign recently cut Tampa Bay starter Josh Freeman, the Bills (2-3) stayed in-house in finding an interim replacement for injured rookie starter EJ Manuel. "We thought it was best for us to move on and play with Thaddeus," Marrone said. "With Thad, he knows the whole system inside out, so at least we can give him the things that we feel hes strong with, which gives us a better chance." The scramble to find a starter began after Manuel sprained his right knee in a 37-24 loss to Cleveland on Thursday. The injury will not require surgery, but Manuel is expected to miss a few weeks, and potentially longer. The Bills had only one other quarterback on their roster, undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel, who struggled in replacing Manuel on Thursday. Tuel completed 8 of 20 passes for 80 yards and an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Lewis promotion came as a surprise after Marrone indicated last week that the team intended to look outside the organization for a replacement. Those plans changed Sunday night, once Freeman announced he was signing with Minnesota. Lewis has spent the past six weeks with the Bills. He was acquired in a trade with Detroit in late August, after Manuel was sidelined with a left knee injury and veteran Kevin Kolb sustained a concussion. Marrone acknowledged the Bills are in a tough spot at quarterback. "Its difficult when you get down to your third or fourth quarterback," Marrone said. And he defended the decision to open the season without a veteran quarterback by noting the Bills had to commit roster spots to address injuries at defensive back and with rookie kicker Dustin Hopkins sidelined by a groin injury. In promoting Lewis, the Bills placed Hopkins on season-ending injured reserve. "Now, if you wouldve said to me, Hey, youre going to have two injuries (at quarterback), should you have done something different? Absolutely," Marrone said. "But that really wasnt the plan going in." Lewis played college at Duke and split most of the past three seasons on the St. Louis Rams and Browns practice squads. He has played one game, a start in Clevelands season finale against Pittsburgh last year, when he went 22 of 32 for 204 yards passing with a touchdown and interception. Calling his excitement level as being "through the roof," Lewis is attempting to keep his emotions in check. "A lot of people are like, Why arent you happy and jumping for joy?" Lewis said. "But I know its a business. And I know I have to get ready to help this team go out and win." Lewis appeared in the Bills preseason finale, going 7 of 16 for 132 yards and a touchdown in a 35-13 loss to Detroit. The Bills thought enough of his performance to sign him to the practice squad and cut fellow newcomer Matt Leinart. "I just have to go out and put my best foot forward," Lewis said. "Dont do too much because youve got playmakers around you. But do enough to put us in a good position to get this W." Marrone said it was still too early to establish a timetable on Manuels recovery. He was able to provide more encouraging updates on the status of other injured players. Starting safety Jairus Byrd is expected to play Sunday after missing the first five games with plantar fasciitis in both feet. Starting cornerback Stephon Gilmore (broken left hand) and backup Ron Brooks (broken right foot) are scheduled to practice this week. Marrone listed receiver Stevie Johnson as day to day after the starter hurt his back against Cleveland. ---- NOTES: Marrone said the starting left guard is up for grabs now that Doug Legursky has returned from a left knee injury. Legursky will compete with Colin Brown. ... The Bills claimed OG Antoine McClain of waivers, two days after he was released by Oakland, and released backup OG Sam Young. ... Punter Brian Moorman, who re-signed with Buffalo on Sunday, has his old No. 8 back. Tuel gave up the number and will no wear No. 7. Eric Bledsoe Jersey . Louis against the Blues. The Canucks picked up their second straight victory in the swings opener on Tuesday in Calgary before getting routed in Minnesota last night, 5-1. Ray Allen Bucks Jersey . As if he had been rehearsing it, Vasquez looked around with a grimacing stare as he clinched two fists and flexed his muscles. What do you think of DeMar DeRozans face after he hits a big shot, he was asked moments earlier. http://www.nbabucksproshop.com/Authentic-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar-Bucks-Jersey/ .C. - Phoenix Suns coach Jeff Hornacek says guard Goran Dragic will return to the starting lineup against the Charlotte Hornets after missing the last two games with a strained back. Brook Lopez Jersey George Hill Jersey . The team made the announcement after Saturdays 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Kenny Giles will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Adams spot on the roster.TAMPA, Fla. -- A month after being inducted into pro footballs Hall of Fame, Derrick Brooks will become the newest member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor. The team formally announced Tuesday that the nine-time All-Pro linebacker who led the Bucs to their only Super Bowl title 11 seasons ago will also have his No. 55 jersey retired during a ceremony at halftime of a home game against the St. Louis Rams on Sept. 14. Brooks was the 28th player selected in the 1995 NFL draft and teamed with Tampa Bays other first-round pick that year -- Hall of Famer Warren Sapp -- to form the foundation of a dominant defence that helped transform a struggling franchise once jokingly called the "Yucs" into a perennial playoff contender. "If Warren was the heart of our defence, then todays inductee, Derrick Brooks, was the soul that propelled us to our world championship in 2002," Bucs co-chairman Bryan Glazer said. "On any given Sunday, Derrick easily was the best athlete on the field," Glazer added. "There was no tight end he could not cover, no quarterback he could not chase down for a sack and no running back he could not tackle in the open field." Brooks, wholl enter the pro football Hall of Fame in August, joins Lee Roy Selmon, John McKay, Jimmie Giles, Paul Gruber and Sapp in having his name displayed in the Ring of Honor, which was created in 2009 at Raymond James Stadium.dddddddddddd Selmon, elected to the Hall of Fame in 1995, and Sapp, enshrined in Canton a year ago, are the only other players to have their jerseys retired by the Buccaneers. The 11-time Pro Bowl selection recalled Tuesday how when Tony Dungy arrived in Tampa in 1996 -- Brooks second pro season -- the former Bucs coach challenged him and Sapp to become the best players they could be by striving to do for Tampa Bay what eventual Hall of Famers Joe Greene and Jack Ham did for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s. "We took it to heart," Brooks said, adding that someone had suggested to him that the Bucs decision to induct him into the Ring of Honor was one of "worst-kept" secrets in town because it comes the same year he joined Sapp as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. "I dont look at it that way. As I told Mr. Glazer, you dont take anything for granted. You dont make any assumptions," Brooks said. "Today is a very important day in my life. To have my number retired is extremely special, too." Brooks didnt miss a game in 14 pro seasons, ending his career with a stretch of 208 consecutive regular-season starts, tied for the 10th-longest streak in NFL history, His 10 consecutive Pro Bowl berths from 1997 to 2007 tied for the second-longest by a linebacker in league history. ' ' '