Kyle Orton replaces EJ Manuel as Buffalo Bills’ starting quarterback

Looks like Kyle Orton knew what he was doing all along.

Apparently his mysterious off-season with the Dallas Cowboys was just a complex ploy to pry away the Buffalo Bills starting quarterback position from EJ Manuel.

Bills Coach Doug Marrone announced the move Monday, the day after the Bills lost their second straight with Manuel under center and dropped to 2-2 overall.

“Kyle Orton is our starting QB right now. We need more overall production from that position,” Marrone said. “We came in today, looked at the tape, and made a decision that gives us the best opportunity to win.”

It was the culmination of a perfectly executed plan by Orton, who spent the last two seasons as Tony Romo’s backup in Dallas. But Orton didn’t participate in any of the Cowboys’ off-season activities, leading many to believe he was contemplating retirement.

Orton finally was released by the Cowboys just before the start of training camp. Phase one of Orton’s master plan was complete when he signed with the Bills at the end of August.

The nine-year veteran patiently waited while Manuel led the Bills to a 2-0 start. But then came losses to San Diego and Houston. Manuel had a particularly rough day against the Texans, with a QB rating of 59.4 and two interceptions, including one that was returned by J.J. Watt for a key Houston touchdown.

Which leads us to Orton time.

“When decisions are made, it’s about one thing: What puts us in the best position to win?” Marrone said.

Well done, Orton. Well done.

Twitter: @chewkiii