Bills coach Chan Gailey said there is "no question" RB Marshawn Lynch (high ankle sprain) will play in Thursday's preseason game vs. Detroit.
Chan Gailey said there is “no question” that Bills RB Marshawn Lynch will play in the team’s final preseason game vs. Detroit on Thursday.
“I plan on him playing. [There’s] no question,” Gailey said after practice on Monday.
Lynch has missed the majority of preseason training after suffering a high ankle sprain on Aug. 13 vs. Washington. He participated in running drills this past weekend, but has been unable to fully rejoin the team. Gailey was encouraged after the 3rd-year back out of Cal partook in a walkthrough earlier today, but said only real-time action will reveal how healthy Lynch is.
“It was a walkthrough. Everybody looks good in a walkthrough,” Gailey said. “He did running afterwards and kept up with everybody else, which is important, but we’ll know a lot more tomorrow when we have a real practice.
Lynch told reporters that he’s “feeling good”, but knows he still has some progress to make. “You said, ‘coming back [from injury]?’” he said. “It’s still a work in progress. I’m just trying to get it right.” He added that Thursday’s game is a “thought in his mind” but he won’t know for certain until he gets a green light from the trainers.
Lynch said his plan was to be back in time from the season opener vs. Miami on Sept. 12, and is “pretty confident” that will still happen.
Buffalo is extremely deep at running back but has been hit hard after both Lynch and Fred Jackson, who won the starting slot in Week 12 of the 2009 season after continually disappointing showings from Lynch, went down with injuries. In the meanwhile, rookie C.J. Spiller has taken the majority of carries, dazzling fans and analysts alike with his blinding speed and playmaking mentality.
“[The] young guy came in and has been a big help to the offense,” Lynch said of the Bills 9th overall pick who he called “great”. “Three games, three touchdowns – he’s doing pretty good.