ORCHARD PARK — With Ryan Fitzpatrick and Trent Edwards hobbling, the Bills may be forced to see what they have in third-stringer Brian Brohm.
Signed to a two-year contract by Buffalo two days after former head coach Dick Jauron was fired in November, Brohm could get the call this week when Buffalo plays the Falcons in Atlanta. Both Fitzpatrick and Edwards had ankle injuries in Buffalo’s 17-10 loss to New England on Sunday.
“It’s too early to answer that,” interim coach Perry Fewell said on Monday when asked if Brohm will start this week. “We have until Wednesday and Thursday, so we’ll just wait and see.”
Edwards was hurt after relieving an ineffective Fitzpatrick for one series early in the fourth quarter against the Patriots. Fitzpatrick was injured soon after he returned. Fewell said he didn’t yet know the severity of the injuries.
Both players were unavailable on Monday.
Fitzpatrick had another ho-hum day in the loss to New England (9-5), dropping his record to 2-3 since being promoted to full-time starter by Fewell. After two solid games against Jacksonville and Miami, Fitzpatrick has been less than stellar the last three weeks, passing for only 362 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Edwards fared no better in relief, completing 1 of 2 passes for minus-1 yard against the Patriots. He was hurt after being sacked by Tully Banta-Cain with 12 minutes to go.
The Bills (5-9) signed Brohm off the Packers practice squad, but have held him under wraps. Green Bay’s 2008 second-round pick out of Louisville has only run the scout team offense, and Fewell two weeks ago said it was unlikely Brohm would see action this season.
But that was before the injuries to Edwards and Fitzpatrick, and the downward spiral of an offense that is now ranked above only the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns.
“We’ll have to see where these other guys are,” Fewell said. “We’ll look at them on Tuesday and Wednesday and see how they’re feeling, and we’ll have a plan and go from there.”
Fitzpatrick was lifted with the Bills trailing 17-3, a decision that had some players in the Buffalo locker room scratching their heads.
“I don’t really know what went into the decision,” receiver Lee Evans, who pulled Buffalo to within 17-10 with an 11-yard touchdown reception with 3 minutes to go. “It was kind of at a crucial point in the game, so I don’t know why that decision was made. It was made, but I don’t really know why.”
Fewell said he wanted to spark an offense that hadn’t produced since a 69-yard opening drive.
“We were not converting on the third downs,” he said. “We needed something to give us some momentum, so I made the decision. I thought Trent could come in and maybe give us a little spark, give us some momentum, and let’s see what we could do.”
NOTES: Cornerback Terrence McGee had his right arm in a sling on Monday after injuring a shoulder in the second half. He said he’s hopeful to play against the Falcons (7-7). ... Fewell said linebacker Bryan Scott sustained a concussion on the fifth-last play of the game. ... The Bills allowed only 224 yards to the Patriots, the lowest total they’ve surrendered to New England since 2001. ... Buffalo leads the NFL with 26 interceptions, its most since 27 in 1967.
