Buffalo Bills wide receiver Lee Evans‘ season is in doubt after he suffered an ankle injury Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. Evans has been ruled out for at least the next two games, coach Chan Gailey said Monday. “I know it’s going to be two [weeks] and it may even be a struggle for him to get back for the last one,” Gailey said. “They [team trainers] are going to continue to give us updates on a daily basis, but it really doesn’t look good right now. I hate it for him and I hate it for us.” Gailey said Evans’ ankle was not broken. Asked whether it was a high ankle sprain, the coach responded, “Something like that. They [trainers] told me it was like that. To what extent, I don’t know.” With just three games left in the season, injured reserve is clearly a possibility for Evans, who is second on the team this season with 37 catches for 578 yards and four touchdowns. — Buffalo News

Bills coach Chan Gailey said Wednesday that the quarterback of the future may already be on the team in the form of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Gailey was asked whether there was a chance Fitzpatrick would not be the starter next year, assuming the Bills do indeed heed the owners’ wishes and draft a quarterback near the top of the first round where they likely will be picking. “Today, there’s no way I can envision that,” Gailey said matter-of-factly. “To be honest with you, that would be kind of dumb not to think that the way the guy has played.” — Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

Shawne Merriman was claimed off waivers from the San Diego Chargers by the Bills on Nov. 3. He’s being paid $1.7 million for the final nine weeks of the season, at which time his contract expires, and has been out with an Achilles’ tendon injury. Later in the interview, Chan Gailey was asked whether Merriman would suit up at all this season for the Bills. “I don’t know. That’s a good question. I think that would be something that I would have to address each and every week, to see where he is and see what the doctors say and see what’s going to happen with that. I don’t know that yet,” the coach said. Told he didn’t sound confident Merriman could eventually play, Gailey responded: “Well, I’m not. There’s got to be something that gives me confidence. Nobody’s said, ‘OK, you can expect him in two weeks.’ Nobody’s said that yet.” — Buffalo News

Bills rookie C.J. Spiller has been all but ruled out for the game, coach Chan Gailey said Monday, after injuring his hamstring a day earlier in the team’s 14-12 win over the Detroit Lions. “If you talk to C.J., C.J. thinks he’s going to be hoping to practice this week,” Gailey said. “The realistic thing is he’ll miss one [game] and then we’ll see from there.” Spiller was hurt on a 29-yard punt return in the second quarter Sunday. That leaves starter Fred Jackson and recently signed Quinton Ganther on the depth chart. Ganther has been with the team for just a week, having signed Nov. 8. “We have a lot of work there [getting Ganther up to speed] because we’re pretty multiple with what we do with that position,” Gailey said. “We’ll change a little bit without C.J. It will change what we do, some of our thought processes.” — Buffalo News

Bills coach Chan Gailey didn’t have a definitive report on C.J. Spiller from the medical staff after the game, but indicated that Spiller could be sidelined next Sunday when the Bills visit the Cincinnati Bengals. “I want to say, for a running back, a hamstring is always significant,” Gailey said. “I can’t imagine him playing this week. We’ll have to see how long that lasts.” — Buffalo News

Linebacker Shawne Merriman will not play against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. When he will make his Buffalo Bills debut remains to be seen. Head coach Chan Gailey said Thursday that Merriman is out this week after straining his right Achilles tendon about 15 minutes into his first practice with the team on Wednesday. It is the same injury that hindered Merriman during the preseason and forced him to miss the regular season opener when he was still with San Diego. Gailey indicated that the strained Achilles is not a long-term injury, but he is not sure when Merriman will play. “We’ll see what happens next week, or it might be the next, I don’t know,” Gailey said after practice. “We’re going to get him well. That’s the most important thing. Let’s get him well before we put him on the field.” — Buffalo News

Results have not met expectations thus far for Bills running back C.J. Spiller. The ninth overall pick in April’s draft is halfway through his rookie season with just 150 yards rushing and 81 yards receiving to show for it. He’s scored just one touchdown, in Week Three at New England. Despite those numbers, Bills coach Chan Gailey remains convinced Spiller is going to be a game-changer. “Unfortunately, with young talented guys like this we all want them to be unbelievably great right off the bat and that’s not fair to them. Give the guy a chance to learn,” Gailey said. “As I’ve said 100 times, I think he’s going to be a dynamic player for us before it’s over with. We’ve just got to keep getting him in the right spots.” Both Gailey and Spiller admitted it’s been a learning process. “I’ve got to learn to put one foot down and get north-south. There were a couple runs that I had out there [Sunday] that I left on the field,” Spiller said. “In order for us to be as good as we want to be, I’ve got to put our offense in better position. … Teams want me to go east-west. After looking at these last couple weeks, I think I’ve tried to force too many things.” — Buffalo News

The Buffalo Bills unveiled their version of the “Pistol” formation on Sunday. The formation has the quarterback lined up about 4 yards behind the center rather than the standard 7 yards in the shotgun formation. The running back lines up 3 yards behind the quarterback. The formation usually includes three receivers and one tight end. The Pistol, which is used by dozens of college football teams, was developed by University of Nevada coach Chris Ault in 2004 as a way to add the power running game to the spread formation. Play-action passes are part of the package. The Bills used the Pistol eight times against Chicago, with mixed results. — Buffalo News

Although he said all the right things with the Buffalo media, former Chargers OLB Shawne Merriman wasn’t happy about being claimed off waivers. Merriman, who is in the last year of his contract, definitely won’t be re-signing with the Bills, who are clearly in need of outside linebackers. — Fox Sports

Shawne Merriman’s stall in the Buffalo Bills’ locker room was full of new team-issued apparel with tags still on them. His helmet was hanging just below his name plate. The only thing missing was Merriman himself. The Bills’ new linebacker was still a no-show Thursday, but is tentatively scheduled to arrive on Friday. The Bills claimed Merriman off waivers Wednesday with the hope he can reclaim the form that once made him one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive players. Merriman is not going to play Sunday against Chicago in Toronto, but could be ready for the Detroit game next week at Ralph Wilson Stadium. — Buffalo News

Shawne Merriman’s contract runs out after this season, so the Bills could wind up “renting him” for the last nine games. The best-case scenario for Buffalo would be if he played well and they were able to sign him to an extension. But that’s a down-the-road decision at this point. So the opportunity is wide open for Merriman to make some kind of impact with the Bills. The Bills (0-7) had the first crack at claiming him due to the fact they own the worst record in the NFL. Merriman is not expected to play in the Bills’ game against Chicago in Toronto on Sunday. The Bills don’t appear to have much to lose, besides some money, in claiming Merriman. They must pay him the remainder of his salary over the final nine weeks of the season, which amounts to $1.7 million. – Buffalo News

Here’s what Chan Gailey had to say when asked whether the Bills would have any interest in receiver Randy Moss, who was waived Monday by the Minnesota Vikings: “Hey, we evaluate everything every day, but I don’t know if that would be a fit or not. I’m sure [General Manager] Buddy [Nix] and I will talk about it. We talk about ‘em all.” — Buffalo News

Bills WR Roscoe Parrish had made it clear he would welcome a trade. Things changed, however, when Gailey was hired in January. “When Chan Gailey got the job, he called me in the offseason and told me I can make some plays in this offense, but nothing’s going to be given to me,” Parrish said. “I have to continue to work. That was one good sign, that he gave me the call and gave me the opportunity.” Parrish has made the most of it, reviving his career and proving he can contribute as a receiver. “He’s an exciting player. He’s got amazing quickness,” Gailey said. “He’s got great hand-eye coordination. He’s making plays for us. A guy continues to make plays, you continue to find ways to get him the football.” — Buffalo News

The Bills are at the bottom of the league in many statistical categories and give up an average of 32 points per game. They need to give rookie running back C.J. Spiller more touches and more opportunities to make dynamic plays. — WEEI