Sammy Watkins did a lot of talking in the week leading up to the Week 6 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals and did very little to follow it up. The wide receiver spent most of the week complaining that he was not getting enough targets and that the Buffalo Bills were making him look bad as a result. He did get the nod to start against the Bengals, but his day ended early with an ankle injury.
According to ESPN's Mike Rodak, Watkins left the game against Cincinnati on crutches after injuring his ankle in the first half of the game. Watkins fell in the endzone after making a touchdown catch. He limped off to the locker room and did not return. According to Rodak, X-rays on the ankle were negative which is a positive sign for the Bills, but there is certainly some doubt as to when he will play again.
This was Watkins first game since injuring his calf on Sept. 27. That injury came after Watkins missed all of the preseason with a glute injury. He then felt the need to complain about his role with the team which did not get him many fans. Now the ankle injury is just another negative mark on his resume in the NFL.
"I need the ball at least 10 times -- I need 10 targets -- and l'll be fine with however many yards I get," Watkins said, via the Buffalo News. "And that's what I addressed in talking with my agent. We reached out to a couple people and tried to pull some string like, 'Hey, I need my targets. You came up to draft me and I'm not getting targets -- that's a problem.' You're making me look bad, and you're making yourself look bad. Why not make both of us look good?'"
The Bills might have recorded the loss against Cincinnati, but they got a lot of great production out of EJ Manuel which could bring back the quarterback contest. Manuel was starting in place of the injured Tyrod Taylor and proceeded to go 28 of 42 for 263 yards and touchdown through the air and one on the ground. That paired well with the 90 yards of rushing LeSean McCoy had in his return. There is certainly a chance that Manuel could get another start since the Bills are preparing to play Jacksonville in Week 7. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports that Buffalo could very well bring back the QB contest as Manuel has the momentum.
"It's been a long time," Manuel said, via Syracus.com. "I thought it went alright, but at the end of the day we didn't win, and that's the toughest part. Performance-wise, of course there are some things I wish that I could have done better, but I thought it was solid."
The Bills could be missing several offensive weapons in Week 7. Along with Watkins, Percy Harvin is dealing with a hip injury that left him out of Week 6 and could be a long-term issue. According to CBS Sports Insider Jason La Canfora, the Bills are preparing for a long-term absence of Harvin with the hip injury that he has struggled with in the past. That would make Robert Woods and Charles Clay very important.
