Flutie To Start Again For Bills

Doug Flutie will get his fourth straight start this weekend in place of Rob Johnson, who's almost healthy enough to be the Buffalo Bills' backup quarterback.

Johnson is close to fully recovering from his separated shoulder, but lacks preparation time to be the starter when the Bills are host to Chicago this Sunday, coach Wade Phillips said following Thursday's practice.

"I want the guys to have a full week of practice and be ready to play, and Doug's taken most of the snaps," Phillips said in declaring Flutie his starter. "If Rob is 100 percent, then we'll get to that as we go. But 100 percent practicing all week is different that 100 percent later on in the week."

Phillips added that Johnson still experienced some soreness in his throwing arm, but loosened up as practice progressed. For the past two weeks, Johnson has only been healthy enough to be listed as Buffalo's third-string quarterback.

"(Johnson) did throw and he's throwing the ball better. I think he feels good and I feel good about where he is," Phillips said. "It's a lot more positive this week then it was last week."

Phillips, however, has yet to state whether Johnson will regain the starter's job once he's fully healthy.

Flutie, 2-1 since taking over, reiterated he's merely filling in as the starter until Johnson is healthy enough to return.

For the second straight week, Flutie will face one of his former teams after leading the Bills to a 16-13 overtime win over New England last Sunday.

Flutie broke into the NFL with the Bears in 1986 before being dealt to New England the following season.

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