The Buffalo Bills are preparing to play their final two games of the season very empty handed. The team continues to get hit with injuries which has caused their breakdown in 2015. With the playoffs no longer in the picture, the Bills will try and end the year on a high note while shifting their focus to 2016 as players battle to be a part of the future.
In Week 16, the Bills will be without Robert Woods and likely LeSean McCoy. The Bills announced via the Buffalo News that Woods has been placed on injured reserve following a groin injury suffered in the loss to the Washington Redskins. The receiver ended the season with 47 catches for 552 yards. With Woods not taking the field again in the final two games, Charles Clay and Chris Hogan will be the main targets outside of Sammy Watkins. Both players have seen their ups and downs this year, but need to step up in the final two games.
Karlos Williams is also expecting to have a big Week 16 game. The running back who has had a breakout rookie season is preparing to start with McCoy expected to be out as he deals with an MLC tear. The running back would not get into details about his injury, but he has yet to practice this week which means the chances he takes the field on Sunday are very slim. McCoy did notch his first Pro Bowl nomination this year, but he noted that his stats do not reflect that.
Players like McCoy and Williams are guaranteed spots in the future of the Bills, but is quarterback Tyrod Taylor? The quarterback is playing on an expiring contract after winning the quarterback battle in the preseason. It is safe to say that Taylor has exceeded expectations this season with his play on the field. Head coach Rex Ryan said the Bills felt good about Taylor being their quarterback of the future, but general manager Doug Whaley was not ready to make guarantees.
"Is he the long-term starter?" Whaley said, via TheMMQB.com. "Let's put it this way: He's shown us enough that we can obviously keep trying with him. But it won't preclude us from going out and protecting ourselves [in case] he's not."
Another player with a future in question is Percy Harvin who ended his disappointing season on injured reserve with rumors of retirement circling him. Harvin cannot seem to shake the hip injuries that have plagued him his entire career and the Buffalo News reported the receiver was considering retirement. Considering he did not end this year on the best note, it is right to speculate that he might not come back to Buffalo in 2016.