After this week's 22-9 loss to the Dolphins -- in which his offense looked meager -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone said the thought of returning to EJ Manuel as the starting quarterback "never crossed my mind."
After letting it cross his mind over the weekend, Marrone came to the same conclusion: Kyle Ortonwill remain the Bills' starting signal-caller.
"Right now I'm sticking with Kyle, we'll go with who gives us the best chance to win," he said, per the team's official Twitter feed.
That statement is perhaps a bigger indictment on Manuel and another dagger to the idea that the first-round pick could be developed into a quality quarterback.
Orton has struggled to push the Bills' offense into the end zone, as it constantly sputters out in the red zone. One of the telltale signs of a good-but-not-great backup quarterback is moving it between the 20s and not being able to punch it home consistently. Orton has been the quintessential backup/bridge quarterback in six games this season.
Still, at 5-5 the Bills sit on the outskirts of the playoff picture in a crowded AFC pool. Moving back to Manuel at this point might signal the waving of the white flag for Marrone. He's not yet ready to do that.
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