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Bills unsure if LeSean McCoy will play Week 1

By Matt Verderame

Mar 10, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy holds up his new jersey after a press conference at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 10, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy holds up his new jersey after a press conference at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Buffalo Bills are facing a tough test in Week 1 when they square off with the high-powered Indianapolis Colts. They are already down one star in Marcell Dareus (suspension) and could be down another, with the team unsure if running back LeSean McCoy will be ready by Sept. 13, according to ESPN.

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McCoy has not played in a preseason game after sustaining a hamstring injury early in training camp. McCoy was acquired by general manager Doug Whaley in March in a trade that sent inside linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Philadelphia Eagles. If McCoy can’t go, the Bills will turn to perhaps the best second-string running back in the league, Fred Jackson. Oh, wait, they won’t, because they released him.

According to an ESPN source, there is plenty of concern within the organization that McCoy will be on the shelf when the real games begin.

"“It’s way too early to say whether [McCoy] will play or not. He is doing a little bit more every day. But hell yes, I’m concerned about that,” the source said. “I can’t say for sure he’s going to be with us Week 1. I can’t say that at all. It will take everything we got just to get him ready for game day, and then [when] we get to game day, [there’s] no way he can be in great football shape. So I think he will be on a pitch count, I think at the very best.“I mean if he came around and just started feeling really, really good, heaven knows. But [we] have to look at all the contingency plans: putting him on a pitch count possibly, or, he’s not out there at all and we got to go without him and get the other guys ready. You just don’t know.”"

If McCoy can’t play, the duties will fall to veteran Bryce Brown and rookie Karlos Williams. Both have been banged up throughout the preseason but are expected to be fine. The Bills will be relying heavily on the ground game with Tyrod Taylor at quarterback. Taylor will be making his first career NFL start against the Colts with either Matt Cassel or EJ Manuel backing him up.

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