No matter how far the Buffalo Bills run, they just cannot hide from their injury problems.
The banged-up Bills (3-3) flew across the pond and arrived in London early this week after losing at home to the Cincinnati Bengals, a game in which backup quarterback E.J. Manuel started and was inconsistent in the place of the injured Tyrod Taylor and the defense stumbled in the second half.
“We got to flush the toilet, so to speak, on one game,” Bills coach Rex Ryan said yesterday. “There’s no question about it. We got to get better.”
The Bills will face the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) on Sunday at Wembley Stadium in the second of three regular-season NFL games in London this year. The Jaguars are 0-2 at Wembley, while the Bills will be making their first appearance in Britain.
However, Ryan still does not know who will be taking the snaps on Sunday.
“It’s too early to tell about his outlook,” Ryan said of Taylor, who started the first five games of the season, but sprained a ligament in his left knee in the 14-13 win over Tennessee on Oct. 11. “Obviously, he’s going through treatments and we’ll see how he progresses through the week.”
Besides the questions surrounding Taylor, the Bills will also be without defensive tackle Kyle Williams, who is out indefinitely with what Ryan called “a significant” injury to his left knee. Williams was carted off after being hurt late in the fourth quarter of the 34-21 loss to the Bengals on Sunday.
And receiver Percy Harvin is absent because of what the coach called “a personal issue,” without elaborating further.
The injury to Williams is a big problem for a defense that has been struggling and has so far failed to play up to its high-priced expectations. Williams is a 10-year veteran and respected team leader who has been formidable against the run and pressuring opposing passers.
The Bills are already missing starting safety Aaron Williams, who is out until at least December because of a neck injury.
Cornerback Leodis McKelvin returned to practice, but remains on the reserve/non-football injury list. McKelvin missed the remainder of last season after breaking his right ankle in November. He aggravated the injury in July and had a follow-up operation before the start of training camp.
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