Buffalo Bills bench EJ Manuel, promote Kyle Orton to starting quarterback

Doug Marrone dropped a bombshell in his Monday press conference. Marrone announced that starting quarterback EJ Manuel will be benched and backup Kyle Orton will be the starter in Week 5.

Manuel had a rough game Sunday against the Houston Texans, completed only 21-of-44 passes (and only 7-of-19 in the second half) for 225 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Bills called a lot of passes, but most of them were short throws and his 47-percent completion percentage in the game didn’t cut it.

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One of those interceptions was a close-range pick by the Texans’ J.J. Watt, which he ran back for a touchdown. After the game, Manuel appeared dejected in the Bills’ locker room.

In four starts this season, Manuel has completed 58 percent of his passes, with 838 yards, five TDs and three interceptions.

Orton signed with the team after the Dallas Cowboys — per his request — released him this offseason, so he was able to double dip on bonus money still owed by the Cowboys as well as a tasty salary ($5 million) that indicated just how short Manuel’s leash was.

The last snap Orton took in an NFL game of any kind was in the Cowboys’ Week 17 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Orton did not play in the preseason with the Bills.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm