The Buffalo Bills are short on proven scoring weapons entering the 2017 NFL season, so the offense will be focused on running back LeSean McCoy.
No, seriously, the unit will really rely on McCoy. Head coach Sean McDermott said the veteran running back’s workload will be “whatever it takes to win the game,” per Joe Buscaglia of WKBW.
And there might not be many substitutions at the position. “If he has to play every snap and he feels good, that’s what we’ll do,” McDermott said.
McCoy has a history of lingering injuries, though the ailments typically haven’t caused him to miss extended time. He’s appeared in 59 of 64 possible games over the last four regular seasons. And over an eight-year career, McCoy has only been unavailable for 11 contests.
The Bills must have supreme confidence that McCoy being a workhorse back won’t result in a problematic injury.
In fairness, he’s the best player in a backfield that has a low-volume bruiser in Mike Tolbert, an inexperienced Joe Banyard and a career backup in Taiwan Jones. That depth isn’t exactly stellar, and their production would fall woefully short of what McCoy can provide. The Bills need him on the field.
Buffalo opens the 2017 campaign Sunday against the New York Jets, and it’s safe to assume McCoy will be heavily featured in the AFC East tilt.