Brohn, Bills ready for preseason test

Toronto, Ontario - He got the start against Atlanta last year, and a couple of snaps in the season finale.  But Brian Brohm is ready to make a good first impression Thursday night, when he gets extended work in the Bills preseason game against the Colts

Trent Edwards will start, and play maybe 15-20 plays.  But then Brohm, the former Packers 2nd round draft pick, will take over at quarterback.  And he's looking to play well enough to win the #2 QB spot on the Bills roster, and maybe challenge for #1.

Even though Edwards appears to have a solid hold on the starting QB spot, Head Coach Chan Gailey insists the competition in ongoing.

"Sure is," he said at training camp three days ago.  "Every day we evaluate everybody."

And Gailey has seen enough of Brohm already to form an impression of his strengths as a quarterback.

"He's very smart. He knows where to go with the football," Gailey says.  "He's got good velocity on the ball.  He just needs to work on continual accuracy."

The Bills plucked Brohm off the Green Bay Packers practice squad last November, three days after Perry Fewell replaced Dick Jauron as head coach.  He did not distinguish himself in his first and only NFL start, the Bills 31-3 loss to Atlanta last December, or in the mop up duty he saw in the season finale against Indianapolis.

But Brohm says he feels much more prepared to play QB for the Bills now, than he did last year.

"It's totally different when through go through OTAs, minicamp, and training camp," Brohm says.  "I've been through the install numerous times.  I know this offense, and I feel comfortable with it, so it's just a matter of going out there and executing it."

The Bills starters are expected to play the first quarter of the Colts game, with the team hoping to get close to 20-plays for the first teamers.  LBs Paul Posluszny and Chris Kelsay are expected to see their first preseason action.  And the Bills expect to have two starting offensive linemen ready for duty; RG Eric Wood and LT Demetrius Bell.  They're hoping RT Cornell Green will also be able to play, but all of those injured players will be subject to a game time decision.

The Bills will play without FS Jairus Byrd.  After missing practice Tuesday, Gailey revealed Wednesday night in Toronto that Byrd will be out indefinitely after surgery this week on his lower body.  The Bills hope he'll be available for the season opener against the Dolphins September 12th.  Veteran George Wilson will start in place of Byrd tonight.