Archives for September 2016

'The Jets will catch a break without having to face a fully healthy Watkins in Buffalo on Thursday night in a pivotal division matchup. Watkins torched Todd Bowles' team in the Jets' crushing Week 17 loss that kept them out of the playoffs. The dynamic receiver had his way against Darrelle Revis en route to a career-high 11 catches for 136 yards.'

'“Sammy came up after the game and talked to trainers and complained of his foot being sore,’’ Ryan said. “So we’ll see how he progresses though the week on that. He’s sore, that’s what it is. Hopefully he’ll progress through the week and he’ll be ready to roll.’’'

'Ryan had terrific success with the weight-loss procedure and still looks much trimmer than he was before he had the procedure and weighed about 350 pounds. Ryan said he feels good and that he learned habits while on the Lap Band that he can use while off of it.'

'There never has been any doubt about how terrific Ryan’s defensive mind is. It’s just that pesky offense that gets in the way of the Super Bowl runs.'

'"I just felt like it was tired, and I just wanted to make sure," Watkins said. "So it's no particular reason why I did it. I just felt I needed to do it. And if I need to do it again, I'm probably going to do it every week."'

'The Bills initially signed Felton to a four-year contract in March 2015 to provide muscle to their running game. Buffalo, however, used mostly a one-man backfield which led to Felton being used sparingly last season.'

'One week into 2016, the Bills are dead last in scoring and yards.'

'Watkins disputed reports that he is experiencing discomfort in his foot — he had foot surgery in late April to repair a fracture — and reported tightness in the area in which two screws were inserted to promote healing.'

'Felton, 30, has also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions.'

'Watkins, the fourth overall pick in 2014, has battled numerous injuries over his career. After missing offseason activities last year because of hip surgery, Watkins missed three regular-season games because of a calf injury, and later, an ankle injury.'

'Watkins also called a report from ESPN prior to the game Sunday that he had an issue with the foot a couple weeks ago and is not 100-percent “very inaccurate,” adding “I felt like I had great week of practice.”'

'Ryan was asked if there is any thought to shutting Watkins down for a couple of weeks, “That’s not what we’re thinking right now. Not sure what the issue is, I’m sure pain tolerance will be part of it, all I know is he was sore after the game.”'

'Watkins is expected to have more tests done in the coming days, and the extent of the injury could become more clear at that time.'

'A horrendously boring afternoon watching the Bills feebly lose, check.'

'"Definitely going to be out there playing. Just trying to get prepared for this week and go up against a great defense," Watkins said Monday. "I'm not in any pain, it's not about the pain. It's about just being smart. I got it checked out, I'm fine and I've just got to get ready and prepared for the game."'