Buffalo Bills (4-1) vs San Diego Chargers (3-3)
Here's a quick update on the injury status of several Buffalo Bills players as we continue to slog through the work week awaiting the Bills' home date with San Diego...
QB Trent Edwards: It's official, folks - like, really official. Edwards is going to play in this one less than two weeks after sustaining a concussion. Edwards practiced both Monday and today at full force and says he "feels great". We figured this would happen, but it's still great news to hear.
WR Roscoe Parrish: Buffalo's most explosive player - period - will also return to the field this weekend. Parrish is slightly less than four weeks removed from thumb surgery, but he's practicing fully and catching both passes and punts. This is an important guy to have on the field. It's very relieving to hear he's back.
TE Derek Fine: The Bills' rookie tight end is no Tony Gonzalez, but he appears to be closer to being ready to make his NFL debut. Fine likely won't play against San Diego, but should be healthy enough to play in Miami if the Bills see fit.
DE Aaron Schobel: This is the first bit of bad news (unless, of course, you don't like Aaron Schobel). The Bills' starting right end missed the fourth quarter of the loss in Arizona with a bum foot, and today, Schobel was spotted with a walking boot on said foot. Clearly, he didn't practice. WGR 550 reports that Schobel calls himself questionable. Like him or not, the Bills need him on the field.
CB Terrence McGee: We heard earlier in the week that McGee was likely to be a go for the Chargers game, but on Wednesday, McGee practiced on a limited basis. It's unclear at this point whether or not McGee will practice, let alone take the field. There's still reason for optimism, but having McGee isn't as certain as we once believed it to be.
CB Ashton Youboty: Compounding the fact that McGee remains injured is the fact that his starting replacement, Youboty, has also been limited by a left leg injury. Youboty is far more likely to play at this point, but the fact that he's dinged is a concern. If both McGee and Youboty can't go, rookie Leodis McKelvin would get the start next to Jabari Greer, with fellow rookie Reggie Corner serving as the team's nickel back. Ouch.
FS Ko Simpson: He, like Schobel, also left before the end of the Cardinals game with a hamstring injury. According to WGR 550, however, Simpson considers himself to be "over 90 percent" and plans to play on Sunday. He was limited today; if he surprises and doesn't go, George Wilson will get the nod.
***
So, in short: Trent is back! Collective sigh of relief. The big concerns right now are the defensive injuries, particularly in the secondary. We're about to take on a potent Chargers passing attack, and we're going to need every healthy defender we can muster. I still believe that McGee will find a way to play, though his chances are certainly diminishing. Schobel's injury is cause for concern as well; perhaps this will be an opportunity for rookie DE Chris Ellis to prove his worth.