Bergbau » fore taking his shot.Kraft was no

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Bills quarterback competition -- and their expectations in getting off to a fresh start -- are suddenly on indefinite hold with rookie quarterback EJ Manuel to miss the rest of the preseason after hurting his left knee. In a statement released by the team Saturday, coach Doug Marrone said the first-round draft pick would have a "minor knee procedure." The announcement came during the teams day off, and following a 20-16 victory over Minnesota. Its unclear when or how Manuel was hurt. And there had been no indication the rookie first-round draft pick had been bothered by an injury following the game. He took over to start the second half and opened with a 14-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brad Smith. He finished 10 of 12 for 92 yards in three series. "EJ Manuel had some swelling in his left knee this morning and was examined by our medical staff," Marrone said. "An MRI revealed that he will need to have a minor knee procedure and that has been scheduled. He will miss the remainder of the preseason and then be re-evaluated at that time." The injury is a potentially significant setback for a player regarded the future of the franchise, and the only quarterback selected in the first round in April. He was chosen 16th overall out of Florida State. Manuel is regarded the centre-piece of an off-season offensive overhaul under Marrone. The rookie head coach has been in the process of introducing an up-tempo offence with an emphasis on speed. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Manuel is a strong-armed quarterback, who has also has mobility. The injury comes just as Manuel appeared to have taken the edge in an off-season-long quarterback competition with free-agent veteran addition Kevin Kolb. Through two preseason games , Manuel completed 26 of 33 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns, and ran four times for 29 yards. Kolb had just returned to practice last week after missing eight days with a twisted left knee, he hurt while slipping on a wet rubber mat during practice on Aug. 3. In starting against Minnesota on Friday, Kolb got off to a slow start. He finished 13 of 21 for 111 yards passing and an interception. Washington State rookie Jeff Tuel is the third-string quarterback. Kolb will now start against Washington on next Saturday. Kolb signed with the Bills in the off-season after starting 21 of 32 career games played in a six-year career with Philadelphia and Arizona. Hes thrown for 28 touchdowns and 25 interceptions while being sacked 77 times in a career that started as a 2nd round draft pick of the Eagles in 2007. Marrone also says backup receiver Kevin Elliott will miss the season after tearing a ligament in his left knee. The Bills return to practice Sunday morning at their training camp facility in suburban Rochester on Sunday. Danielle Hunter Jersey . 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In the second game of their day/night doubleheader at Minneapolis, three Blue Jays pitchers, Steve Delabar, Sergio Santos and J.CHANDLER, Ariz. - Those bad guys from New England finally made it out West, and it didnt take long for them to begin circling the wagons.An angry Robert Kraft led the way on a rainy Monday in the desert, reading from a defiant speech crafted at 35,000 feet on the way from the snowy East Coast to the Super Bowl. It came straight from the heart, the owner of the New England Patriots said, because someone other than coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady had to stand up for truth, justice and the American way.Actually, someone just had to explain what happened to those deflated balls in the AFC Championship final, but that wasnt going to happen. Not now, with the Super Bowl just days away, and the Patriots desperate for a way to turn the controversy over deflated balls to their advantage.That, really, was what this was all about. If Belichick was struggling to rally his players around their collective wounded pride, their owner wasnt going to let any more time pass before taking his shot.Kraft was nothing but all in, declaring his coach and players had way too much integrity to engage in any kind of shenanigans. To even suggest so, he said, was so offensive that someone really ought to be apologizing, and he wasnt just talking about Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman.If the (NFL) investigation is not able to definitively determine that our organization tampered with the air pressure in the footballs, I would expect and hope the league would apologize to our entire team, and in particular to coach Belichick and Tom Brady, for what theyve had to endure this week, Kraft said.If his righteous anger was a bit overboard, Kraft had his reasons for taking the podium at the team hotel before Belichick and Brady faced the assembled media for the first time since arriving a few hours earlier.Clearly, he was looking to take some heat off of Belichick and Brady, who by now have already claimed ignorance about the deflated balls in so many ways that even the media seems tired of asking the questions. But ask they do, because its Super Bowl week, and even the slightest hint of controversy is like raw meat to the insatiable appetite of television and the Internet.ddddddddddddSo Kraft tried to turn it to an advantage by declaring his love for Belichick and Brady, rallying the troops with the classic us against them mentality that coaches love to use to motivate their teams.Tom, Bill and I have been together for 15 years. They are my guys, Kraft said. They are part of my family. Bill, Tom and I have had many difficult discussions over the years. Ive never known them to lie to me. Thats why Im confident in saying what I just said.It didnt take long for Belichick to get on the podium and pay his owner back. Dressed for success in coat and tie instead of the traditional hoodie, he said he was forever indebted to Kraft for working out a trade to get him from the New York Jets, had a great personal and professional relationship with the owner, and loved everything about the organization.Oh, and he wished Patriots fans well in the massive snowstorm hitting the New England area, saying they have the kind of toughness and teamwork to get through it just like the NFL team they cheer for would get through its own ordeals.As for those deflated balls? Well, the owner had already had his say, so there was nothing left to add.I appreciate the questions, but Ive covered everything that I can cover in the previous week and my attention is focused on the Seattle Seahawks, Belichick said.Brady followed in lockstep, proving if nothing else that the Patriots had a game plan for the media this week, and are sticking to it. By then, the assembled media seemed exhausted and barely brought up the controversy in a passing reference to one of the greatest passers ever.Brady did manage to mention, though, how much he loves his owner, too.Ive been fortunate to play 15 years and its a privilege to play for this team, he said. Mr. Kraft, Jonathan (son of Robert Kraft), theyre family to me, and Id love to go out and play my tail off and try to go win a Super Bowl for him.On Sunday, the Patriots just may do that, and with properly inflated balls.Then maybe the talk will not be about deflated balls or cheating coaches. Instead, it will be about how the guys who are supposed to be so bad can be so good. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '