EJ Manuel injury will force Thad Lewis to start in Bills vs. Dolphins

If you were interested in seeing Thad Lewis play quarterback for the Buffalo Bills one more time this season, you're in luck: Doug Marrone announced on Wednesday that he'll start this Sunday's game against the Miami Dolphins.

The reason? EJ Manuel has a knee sprain, and although the head coach initially expected Manuel to be fine this week, swelling has not subsided, and he was a limited practice participant on Wednesday. That apparently was enough for Marrone to decide to roll with Lewis for Week 16, though he did also tell reporters that he expects Manuel to return for the team's season finale in New England. Note that this knee injury, Manuel's third of his rookie season, was not to the knee that was injured in August and then again in October.

Lewis started three games for the Bills between Weeks 6-8, leading his team to a 1-2 record. That lone win came on the road over - you guessed it - the Dolphins, where he completed 21-of-32 passes for 202 yards with an interception in a 23-21 victory. It's the second time he'll play in front of a home crowd, as well; he scored three touchdowns in an overtime loss to Cincinnati in Week 6.

For Manuel, this will be the fifth game he's missed in his rookie season, meaning that he'll end up playing 11 this year - assuming he does in fact play in New England.