Help on the Way for Ailing Bills

Today’s mid-week update should be chicken soup for the Buffalo Bills lover’s soul.  It has been a rough few weeks in Western New York, what with those pesky division losses, and the myriad of injuries we’ve suffered.  However, I have a feeling the mood is about to change, and it starts with some good news coming out of One Bills Drive.

Brad Butler, who has now missed 3 full games with a knee injury, has been taking first team reps all week in practice, and is expected to suit up this Monday night against Cleveland.  With the O-line collectively having their worst 3 weeks since 2006, being able to plug Butler back into the starting line-up can only help, especially considering what we’ve seen from Whittle, Preston, and even Chambers (who normally plays tackle) at the right guard position.  Despite this good news though, the million dollar question remains; can the Bills establish a running game?

On a higher note, safety Donte Whitner has also been practicing this week, albeit on a somewhat limited basis.  Regardless of whether or not he plays this Monday, this is incredible news for a player who was seen walking from the stadium 2 weeks ago with his arm in a sling.  At the very least, I expect him to be back for their road game against Kansas City a week from Sunday. 

On a final note, and staying with the injury laden theme of this report, I am forced to think back to the beginning of the year.  You know, that time when everyone in Western New York viewed a playoff appearance as a foregone conclusion.  When I look back at that time, I remember why I believed this team was so many of the close games they’d lost a season before.  It was because of the leadership and camaraderie that had developed among them.  Moreover, it was the noticeable way they fought for one another, and played with a sense of urgency that demonstrated a will to make plays, not for themselves, but in an effort not to let the guy standing next to them down.  So, with Donte Whitner getting back to practice so soon after suffering a separated shoulder, an injury that generally carries with it at least a 2-4 week absence, I am seeing the leadership and tenacity that I saw from this team earlier in the year.

For someone like myself, who is so desperately looking for anything to regain confidence in the team that we all fell in love with just one short season ago, witnessing the willingness for one of the team’s most important players, and leaders, to play through the pain and give his team something to take solace in, is enough for me to get back on board.

I’ve got a good feeling about this week…

Go Bills!

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