The Buffalo Bills have made a change at quarterback.
Coach Doug Marrone announced Monday that Kyle Orton will replace EJ Manuel as the starter when the Bills visit the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Marrone said he came to his decision Monday afternoon.
"I didn't ask (the front office) for an agreement," Marrone said, via ESPN.com. "I just went in and said this is the direction I'm going."
Marrone wouldn't commit to Orton for the rest of the season. The coach said the decision to start Orton was made to help the team make a long-term decision moving forward.
"(We) can't keep going in direction that we're going," Marrone said.
Manuel, a first-round pick in 2013, continued his struggles in a Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans, throwing two interceptions, including a pick-six to J.J. Watt. In four starts, Manuel completed 58 percent of his passes with five touchdowns, three interceptions and a passer rating of 80.3. The Bills, 2-2, committed a good amount of money to Orton with a two-year $11 million deal, an indication Manuel may be on a short leash. Orton comes into a pretty good situation with a potent running attack as a security blanket and a talented WR1 in Sammy Watkins. It's a tough first matchup, however, against the Lions on the road in Week 5, but Orton at least has some QB2 fantasy potential in certain matchups.
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