NFL: Bills sign former USC quarterback Matt Barkley

The Buffalo Bills have signed quarterback Matt Barkley to address a banged-up and thinly experienced position ahead of their game against the Chicago Bears this weekend.

In a separate move Wednesday, punter Colton Schmidt returned to the Bills. He was signed to replace rookie Corey Bojorquez, who was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

Barkley has been out since hurting his left knee in the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason finale. He was placed on injured reserve and then released on Sept. 12.

The Bills are in need of quarterback help with rookie starter Josh Allen missing his third game with a sprained right elbow. Veteran backup Derek Anderson’s status is uncertain after he suffered a concussion in a 25-6 loss to New England on Monday night.

That leaves Buffalo in a position to start turnover-prone backup Nathan Peterman against the Bears.

Barkley has a 1-5 NFL career record as a starter since being selected by Philadelphia in the fourth round of the 2013 draft out of Southern California.

Reserve running back Taiwan Jones also was placed on IR with a neck injury.

Dolphins’ Tannehill ruled out of Sunday’s game against Jets

Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, meaning Brock Osweiler will start for the fourth game in a row.

Tannehill, recovering from an injury to his throwing shoulder, was limited in practice Wednesday.

The Dolphins are 4-4, and 1-2 with Osweiler starting. His passer rating of 93.8 is slightly higher than Tannehill’s 92.9.

Patriots place DB Eric Rowe on injured reserve

The Patriots have placed defensive back Eric Rowe on injured reserve with a groin injury.

Rowe sat out last week’s win at Buffalo and has missed four of the past six games. He started the first two games of the season at cornerback opposite Stephon Gilmore, but has appeared in just two other games as a substitute. He has nine tackles and one pass defense on the season.

A fourth-round pick by Philadelphia in 2015, he was traded to New England in 2016. He has appeared in 21 regular-season games with 12 starts for the Patriots, posting 49 tackles and one interception.

Former Seattle Seahawks coach Jack Patera dies at 85

Jack Patera, the first head coach in the history of the Seattle Seahawks, has died at age 85.

Patera died on Wednesday, the team said. The cause of death was not clear, but Patera had been battling pancreatic cancer.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jack Patera and extend our utmost sympathies and condolences to the Patera family,” read a statement from the Seahawks.

“We will remember coach Patera most for his big heart, sense of humor and genuine spirit.”

Patera was Seattle’s head coach for parts of seven seasons, beginning with the team’s inaugural season in 1976. Patera’s best seasons came in 1978-79 when the Seahawks went 9-7 in consecutive years, but failed to make the playoffs. Patera was named the NFL coach of the year in 1978 when the Seahawks missed the playoffs by one game.

Seattle never reached the postseason until 1983. Patera was fired after starting the 1982 season 0-2 and finished his career as a head coach with a 35-59 record.

Before joining the Seahawks, Patera was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings. Patera also had a seven-year playing career with the Baltimore Colts, Chicago Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys between 1955-61.

Former Seahawks quarterback Jim Zorn tweeted that his favorite memories of Patera included the fact the head coach liked to be called Jack, and the Seahawks always had a fake field goal in the game plan.

“If you called him `coach,’ he would call you `player.“’ Zorn wrote.

Current Seattle coach Pete Carroll said when former players from the early days of the Seahawks returned for alumni events Patera’s impact was obvious.

“He was a great coach, great human,” Carroll said. The guys who played for him really loved playing for him. He was really important to all those guys and a lot of people. We’ll miss him.”