BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is coming back to Buffalo after re-signing with the Bills on Friday. And returning starter Ryan Fitzpatrick remains part of the teams future for now. In announcing Jacksons signing, new coach Doug Marrone ended a month of speculation regarding his plans at quarterback by saying he intends to have Fitzpatrick and Jackson compete for the starting job. "I spoke with Ryan and Tarvaris and told them we will have an open competition at the quarterback position -- similar to what we will do at all positions," Marrone said, in a statement released by the team. "I believe that our players will embrace this challenge." This was Marrones most definitive statement regarding Fitzpatricks future since he took over last month. Marrone, credited for turning around a struggling Syracuse program over the past four years, replaced Chan Gailey, who was fired after three consecutive losing seasons. Jackson signed a one-year deal after completing the final year of his contract, and was eligible to become a free agent next month. Hes gone 17-17 in seven NFL seasons as a starter, but did not play a down for Buffalo after spending all of last year as the teams third-stringer. Jackson elected to return because of the opportunity to compete for the starting job. He also referred to a conversation he had with general manager Buddy Nix, who had expressed an interest in re-signing him last month. "You want to feel wanted," Jackson said. "To get a chance to compete, thats very important." Jacksons no stranger to quarterback competitions. The Bills gave up a draft pick to acquire him in a trade with Seattle in August after Jackson lost a three-way competition with Seahawks eventual starter, rookie Russell Wilson, and backup Matt Flynn. And it makes no difference to Jackson that the Bills have already indicated a desire to add a third person into the mix by selecting a quarterback in the draft. "Somebodys got to go," Jackson said. "And I know that personally just from the situation last year. I guess well just see how everything plays out." Fitzpatricks status in Buffalo had been in question as a result of the coaching change and after the quarterback struggled in his second full year as starter. Fitzpatrick and the offences production regressed last year. The Bills finished 19th in the NFL in yards gained after finishing 14th the previous season. In four seasons in Buffalo, Fitzpatrick is 20-33 as a starter. Though he joined Hall-of-Famer Jim Kelly last year in becoming only the second Bills quarterback to throw 24 touchdowns in three consecutive seasons, Fitzpatricks inconsistency has remained a question. In 55 games in Buffalo, hes thrown 80 touchdowns and 64 interceptions, including a career-worst 23 in 2011. Another knock against Fitzpatrick is an expensive contract. He signed a six-year, $59 million contract extension in October 2011, and is due a $3 million bonus if he remains on the teams roster next month. The Bills are expected to approach Fitzpatrick in a bid to restructure the deal, but that had not happened as of last week. In re-signing Jackson, the Bills have, at the very least, added depth to the quarterback spot. Selected in the second round of the 2006 draft by Minnesota, the Alabama State product has appeared in 51 games, and has starting experience with both the Vikings and Seahawks. Jacksons best season came in 2011, his one and only year with Seattle. He went 7-7, putting up career highs with 14 touchdowns, 271 completions and 3,091 yards. Marrones background is on offence. Hes a former NFL offensive lineman who spent the 2006-08 seasons as the New Orleans Saints offensive co-ordinator. Though he didnt call the plays, his arrival in New Orleans coincided with the team signing star quarterback Drew Brees. Jacksons already begun studying film of Marrones offence at Syracuse, and is looking forward to getting another shot to prove himself as an NFL starter. "Im very confident in myself, but Im not taking anything away from anybody else," Jackson said, when asked to compare himself to Fitzpatrick. "Thats not really for me to say. Thats really the coachs job to say whos best for the team. So I just leave it at that." cheap jerseys from china .Y. -- A person familiar with discussions has told The Associated Press that the Buffalo Bills and potential free-agent receiver Stevie Johnson have exchanged contract offers and plan to meet again at the NFL combine in Indianapolis next week. wholesale nfl jerseys . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Canadiens team that has been re-energized by young talent and should have a lot of continuity going into next season. One of the most remarkable facets of Montreals success last season is that they finished with such a strong record despite subpar goaltending. http://www.cheap-nhljerseys.us.com/en310/ . Luiten became the first Dutch winner of his countrys national open since Maarten Lafeber in 2003 and the first Dutchman to win twice in a season on the European Tour. cheap jerseys . What he didnt know was who led them to the win. "Any night could be anybody. I dont know who it was tonight. nhl jerseys china .Y. -- Bernhard Langer topped the leaderboard at 7 under when first-round play in the Dicks Sporting Goods Open was suspended because of rain Friday.MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Just keep counting Zach Randolph and the Memphis Grizzlies out. They revel in that underdog status. Now the team few outside of Memphis ever noticed before this post-season has provided the NBA with the first Game 7 of these playoffs. Randolph had 30 points and 13 rebounds, and the Grizzlies avoided elimination by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 95-83 Friday night to push their Western Conference semifinal to a deciding game. "We just have to go out and do it again," Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. "I know all of the pundits think its over. Theyve been saying we would win tonight, and Oklahoma City would win in seven, but its not over yet. We have to go win that game, and Im looking forward to it." The Grizzlies had never won a game before when facing elimination, but that was in 2004, 2005 and 2006, when they were swept out of the post-season each of those years. These Grizzlies are having not only the best playoff run in franchise history, but they now have won more games this post-season than any other No. 8 seed from the West. Game 7 will be Sunday in Oklahoma City, with the winner advancing to play the well-rested Dallas Mavericks. "This is where we want to be playing, Game 7, that one game to get to the Western Conference finals," Randolph said. "Its important. I feel good, but the job aint done yet. We know its going to be tough going to Oklahoma trying to win that game. We believe we can do it, and were committed." O.J. Mayo, who started in place of Sam Young, scored 16 points for Memphis. Mike Conley had 11 points and a franchise playoff-record 12 assists, and Tony Allen added 10 points as the Grizzlies improved to 5-1 on their home court this post-season, with a sellout crowd standing for the entire second half cheering to keep this stunning run going at least one more game. "We like people betting against us," Conley said. "It motivates us. We know a lot of people dont believe other than in the city of Memphis that we can get this done. We believe we can. Thats all that matters." Memphis outscored the Thunder 51-29 in the second half and 46-38 in the paint overall. Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 27 points, and James Harden had 14. Kevin Durant, the NBAs leading scorer in the regular season, was held to a post-season-low 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting. He was 1-of-9 from beyond the arc. "Its going to be a tough Game 7 at our place," Durant said. "Im looking forward to it. I started the game off like I did ... After that, it goes downhill. Its frustrating." Westbrook refused to call this a blown opportunity. "We got one more game, and weve got to be able to close it out," he said. Randolph had been limited to just 19.8 points and 31.9 per cent shooting since he scored a career playoff-best 34 points in Game 1. He had been the focus of the Thunders defence and had just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting in Game 5. Hollins credited the difference to having 48 more hours to recover from their triple-overtime loss Monday. "Obviously, weve been a team thats been able to come from bbehind all year long, and we did it again tonight," Hollins said.dddddddddddd The power forward, named to the All-NBAs third team on Friday, scored 12 in the fourth to preserve Memphis lead. Randolph scored six straight points, capped by a 12-foot fallaway jumper that sent the fans into a frenzy chanting his nickname. "He was making jump shots, and he was making contested jump shots," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "Hes third-team All-NBA for a reason. That guy is a player, and when he gets it going, you only can do what you can do and that is contest his shot and force him to take tough shots and he made some tough shots tonight." Randolph said Mayos addition to the starting lineup helped give him more space with the Thunder forced to honour the guard. Hollins told Mayo he would be starting before the morning shootaround but called Randolph unbelievable. "He never fails," Mayo said. "You can live when he has a bad game because he plays so many incredible games, and down the stretch he carries us so much that when he has a bad game, youre like OK, hes a little human. But pretty much, he never fails us." Oklahoma City just couldnt get to the basket or sink shots in the second half. The Thunder had a fast break with Westbrook driving to the basket, but he just couldnt finish the shot. Randolph came up with the rebound, then Mayo hit a 19-footer to push the Grizzlies lead to 88-79 with 3:11 left. The Thunder had their biggest lead at 54-41 just before halftime and looked ready to blow out Memphis, just as they did in Game 5 on Wednesday night in Oklahoma City. But Shane Battier ended the first half with a three-pointer, and the Grizzlies used that as the start of an 18-5 run into the third. Randolphs bucket with 5:19 left in the third tied it 59-59, Gasol tied it again at 65-65, and Mayos three-point play put Memphis ahead to stay at 68-65 with 2:10 left. Durant picked up his second personal on a questionable offensive foul with 7:37 left in the first quarter and sat for the rest of the period. With Battier defending him most of the night, Durant went 1-for-10 from the floor in the second half. Hollins downplayed anything the Grizzlies did defending Durant. "He saved himself for Sunday," Hollins quipped. The Thunder used a 20-7 spurt during which Westbrook scored seven, and Harden capped it with back-to-back three-pointers for a 52-39 lead with 1:03 remaining in the second quarter. Unlike Game 5, they couldnt build on this lead. NOTES: Young had a tough day Friday. He found his car had been stolen after the morning shootaround. It was retrieved 15 minutes or so later, and he credited OnStar for the recovery. ... The Denver Nuggets won six post-season games as a No. 8 seed in 1994. ... The stats crew struggled, counting a travel by James Harden late in the first quarter as a bucket and showing a tie at 23-23 at the end of the quarter. They didnt get it corrected until 8:24 left in the second quarter, a span of more than five minutes. The public address announcer noted the score change. ... The Thunder hit 11 of 20 in the second quarter when they outscored Memphis 30-21. cheap jerseys cheap nfl jerseys ' ' '