Rex Ryan's ship continues to sink slowly into the depths of Lake Erie. After enduring an offseason filled with injuries and suspensions to his defensive players, Ryan's offense suffered a blow when it was revealed after Week 1 that Sammy Watkins would be dealing with foot pain due to his offseason surgery that repaired his broken foot.
More bad news: According to Ryan, Watkins probably won't play this weekend when the Bills host the Cardinals.
"Odds probably not real good that he plays," Ryan said, via NFL.com. "If he feels good and (is) up to it he will. Don't officially count him out."
Ryan's right. It's not looking good. As the Bills' own writer, Chris Brown, reported, Watkins was absent during the portion of practice on Friday that the media was allowed to observe. So, he missed every practice this week. That's especially alarming considering the Bills haven't played since last Thursday night. Watkins played in that game but hardly factored in, catching two passes for 20 yards.
This is also not great.
Hey Bills, maybe don't step on the guy's foot, because he's dealing with a painful foot injury.
Here's how CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora described that injury, as Jared Dubin wrote:
Per CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, doctors have advised Watkins that there is no procedure he can undergo and it is a simply pain threshold issue related to the screws he had inserted in his foot. He is experimenting with different types of cleats to try to alleviate the problem but it is something that continues to dog him.
If Watkins is unable to go, they'll be playing a legit Super Bowl contender without one of their few playmakers on the roster. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, to this point, has relied almost exclusively on the deep ball. Watkins, even if he's not at 100 percent, would serve as his most prominent deep threat, but now that seems unlikely. Running back LeSean McCoy is at least healthy, but he's had issues getting going. He's averaging 3.8 yards per carry thus far.
The Bills offense ranks 30th in yards per game and 21st in points per game. Losing their top receiver won't help improve those rankings. And, oh yeah, the Bills will enter the game with a new offensive coordinator having strangely fired Greg Roman.
Good luck, Rex.