EJ Manuel named Buffalo Bills starter

Aug 16, 2013; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel (3) throws a pass before a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone announced today that EJ Manuel will be the starting quarterback on Sunday for the Buffalo Bills when they take on the New England Patriots.
This will come as a massive relief to all of Bills Nation.
Manuel had looked like he was on his way to earning the starting nod over free agent signing Kevin Kolb during the preseason until a knee injury sidelined him after the second game of the preseason. The Bills had announced that they were not sure if Manuel would be ready for the season opener as he rehabbed his knee after what was called a minor operating procedure performed on his knee. Then in game three of the preseason Kevin Kolb was diagnosed with a concussion and subsequently placed on the season ending Injured Reserve List. There are reports that this concussion could actually end Kolb’s career.
Jeff Tuel was then elevated to the starting quarterback position and for a couple of weeks it looked like he could be the first non drafted quarterback to start the first game of the season for his team in the modern football era.
That started to change on Sunday when it was announced that EJ Manuel was throwing passes before the final preseason game. After the game coach Marrone announced that Manuel would have to finish a full practice with the team by Wednesday if he was to have any chance of starting the season opener. Manuel practiced fully with the team on Monday and was rewarded today with the announcement that he will be the Bills starter for the regular season opener.
Manuel has rehabbed quicker than most people thought he might but the Bills may have let the cat out of the bag that he was doing better than expected when they released two quarterbacks after the final preseason game.
This is what the majority of Bills fans wanted to see at the beginning of the preseason. They wanted to see Manuel emerge as the starting quarterback for the Bills, but I’m pretty sure we could have done without the heart stopping way in which it happened.
Here we go folks.
The EJ Manuel era has begun in Buffalo.
Let`s hope it lasts for a good long time.