After a Week Seven loss to the Miami Dolphins, LeSean McCoy said he "wasn't good enough" to play in a game without practicing.
Luckily for the Buffalo Bills, they don't have to worry about that this week.
McCoy practiced Thursday on a limited basis as the Bills began their preparations for what's been called a "must win" Week Nine game against the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football.
"I feel good," McCoy said. "Mentally, I feel great. ... Just getting over that step of, ‘if I make this hard cut, will I feel it?’ I did it today, different runs. So I’m ready to roll."
Asked whether that meant he would definitely play against the Seahawks, McCoy dialed it back somewhat when he said "I got some time. Each day at a time I’ll progress and get better and better, so we’ll see later on during the week."
There is no doubt the NFL’s top-ranked rushing attack could use the player primarily responsible for getting there.
“It definitely brings another dynamic to our offense,” quarterback Tyrod Taylor said. “Having a guy like Shady on the field – whether it’s catching out of the backfield or creating plays in the run game – definitely happy to get him back on the field and he looked good today in practice.”
Although the Bills ran the ball well without McCoy last week against New England, they don’t have another player on the roster who comes close to matching his explosiveness. McCoy was playing like an MVP candidate before he got hurt in practice leading up to the Week Seven game in Miami.
“Not really practicing the whole week, it’s hard to really go out there and perform at a high level, but I did all the right tests and I felt good,” he said Thursday of playing against the Dolphins. “As a competitor, how I am, I want to go out there and play so I won’t regret it. I feel a lot better today than in the past.”
Bills coach Rex Ryan doesn’t have a rule about players having to practice to be eligible to play, which basically means that if they’re good enough, they’ll be out there if medically cleared.
That’s certainly the case with McCoy, but he explained Thursday why feels practice reps are necessary.
“Feel the blocks, feel the schemes, the game plan – it’s one thing to watch tape and dissect the team, but it’s another to do that and actually prepare for the defense that you’re going to face,” he said. “It’s not like the physical practicing, knowing exactly where you want to hit the hole at and what to expect. Our scout team does a great job of getting us prepared.”
There is plenty of work to do this week to get ready. The Seahawks’ defense ranks in the top 10 in nearly all the major categories, including: Scoring (second, 15.6 points per game), yards against (sixth, 319.4), rushing yards against per game (seventh, 89.7), average rush against (fourth, 3.4 yards), passing yards against per game (ninth, 230), sacks (third, 22) and passing touchdowns allowed (first, five).
“They play well together from the D-lineman to the secondary,” McCoy said. “You know all the names. … There’s a reason why they’re so highly ranked and always talked about.”
The Bills’ bye week follows the game against Seattle, which means McCoy would have ample time to get healthy if he were to sit out. He said that thought hasn’t crossed his mind, though.
“We got to win this game,” he said. “My main concern is just how I feel each day at practice and getting treatment mentally and physically. That’s what matters most right now. If I can’t go, I can’t go. But right now I feel good and I have a lot more days left until the game.”
There’s also something about the bright lights that McCoy relishes. In eight games on Monday Night Football, he’s scored six touchdowns, including a memorable, 31-carry, 184-yard performance in the 2013 season opener while with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I think every player wants to show off on prime-time TV,” McCoy said. “We don’t really get a lot of prime-time games so you want to make the best of it. That’s where you get all the Pro Bowl votes.”
McCoy had his tongue planted firmly in his cheek when he said that before turning serious again: “It’s another game that we have to win. I think it helps out that it is on prime time.”