Sammy Watkins picked the wrong time to criticize his playing time with the Buffalo Bills. The wide receiver made headlines when he was critical about the number of targets he has been getting on the field. Watkins then followed that up with an ankle injury as he continues to struggle to stay on the field and be healthy. General manager Doug Whaley made it clear he was not upset with Watkins' comments, but did say the receiver needs to make the play when the ball is thrown his way.
"That's putting a target on his chest, and he knows that," Whaley said, via Syracuse.com. "When he says something like that, then when it comes his way I expect him to make big plays. I like a confident guy."
Watkins missed his third game of the season after suffering an ankle injury in Week 6. That is paired with the glute issue he had in the preseason along with some calf problems as well. The receiver has spent his first two years in the league battling a number of injuries and with Percy Harvin also out, the Bills are desperate to get Watkins back. Robert Woods and Charles Clay were not enough to get the win over Jacksonville. Whaley admitted that team needs to figure out how to prevent these injuries from becoming a continuous issue.
"It's one of those things where we're going to look at it after the year, but it is what it is," Whaley said. "Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game everywhere. It would be different if we saw an injury history in college, but he was never injured in college. So it's just one of those things where it's that type of year. Some years we don't have any injuries, other years we've just had a rash."
According to the Buffalo News, Harvin is expected to miss time with a hip injury, but is not expected to be retiring. The wide receiver did not travel to London for what Whaley referred to as personal matters. Team reports say Harvin is battling a re-occurring injury and he will see a specialist in order to try and solve the issue. That makes the injury to Watkins that much more of an issue.
Entering a much-needed bye week, the Bills have a chance to get a number of players healthy. With EJ Manuel struggling in his second start, Tyrod Taylor could return following a knee injury. According to ESPN.com, Karlos Williams is making positive strides after suffering a concussion. Now all the Bills need is either Watkins or Harvin back to begin to gain momentum once again.
