Matt Leinart shows rust in Buffalo Bills debut

Matt Leinart struggled in his debut for the quarterback-depleted Buffalo Bills, who closed the preseason with a 35-13 loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday night at Orchard Park, N.Y.

Looking like someone who had had only three days of practice, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner was three for 10 for 11 yards and two interceptions before being yanked after five possessions. That represents a major concern for Buffalo, which scrambled to sign the 2006 first-round draft pick Sunday after losing its top two quarterbacks to injury.

First-round draft pick EJ Manuel is recovering from a left knee injury, and veteran Kevin Kolb is out indefinitely because of a concussion.

“It’s disappointing. You have an opportunity, and you go out there and you don’t play as well as you want to,” Leinart said. “I was thankful to be here, and we’ll see what happens. Obviously, after that performance it can’t be anything good, I would think. But we’ll see.”

Tim Tebow threw two touchdown passes and one interception, and the New England Patriots beat the New York Giants, 28-20, at Foxborough, Mass.

In an up-and-down performance in both teams’ last exhibition game, Tebow had a 52-yard touchdown pass and a 13-yard run. He was six for 11 for 91 yards. He also gained 30 yards in six carries for the Patriots.

Giants backup running back Andre Brown broke his left leg on the first play after the two-minute warning in the first half.

Tarvaris Jackson led Seattle on three first-half scoring drives, and Terrelle Pryor struggled through his worst performance of the preseason with a chance at earning Oakland’s starting quarterback job in the host Seahawks’ 22-6 exhibition victory.

Pryor had turned the Raiders’ quarterback situation into a real competition with his performance during the preseason. Matt Flynn sat out Thursday because of a sore elbow, and Pryor was given an entire half to try to show he deserved the job. He was lackluster, completing three of eight passes for 31 yards and an interception.

Andy Dalton led the Bengals to a touchdown in his only drive, and Josh Johnson threw for another in his bid to win the backup job as host Cincinnati ended the preseason with a 27-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Case Keenum and T.J. Yates each threw a touchdown pass in their battle for the backup job, and Cierre Wood and Dennis Johnson combined for 187 yards rushing, leading the Houston Texans past the Dallas Cowboys, 24-6, at Arlington, Texas.

ETC.

Suns trade Butler to Bucks

The Phoenix Suns traded small forward Caron Butler to the Milwaukee Bucks for point guard Ish Smith and center Viacheslav Kravstov.

The move sends Butler to his hometown team. The 11-year NBA veteran is from nearby Racine, Wis.

The Suns acquired Butler and point guard Eric Bledsoe from the Clippers on July 10 in a three-team trade that sent the Suns’ Jared Dudley and Milwaukee’s J.J. Redick to Los Angeles. Milwaukee received two second-round draft picks in the deal.

Atlanta Hawks Coach Mike Budenholzer apologized for his arrest on a driving under the influence charge.

According to a report from the Georgia State Patrol, Budenholzer was pulled over at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in Atlanta for not having working taillights. Trooper J. Nelms said Budenholzer had bloodshot and watery eyes “and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath.”

According to the report, Budenholzer refused a breath test but agreed to a field sobriety test.

Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum shot an eight-under-par 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Lexi Thompson after the first round of the Safeway Classic at Portland, Ore.

Cristie Kerr, the winner in 2008 the last time the event was played at Columbia Edgewater, was at 66.

Longtime major league umpire Frank Pulli, who used instant replay to make a call nearly a decade before video reviews were allowed, has died. He was 78.

Major League Baseball said Pulli died Wednesday in Palm Harbor, Fla., from complications of Parkinson’s disease.

Pulli umpired in the National League from 1972-99 and worked four World Series.