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Bills look forward to free weekend
Leo Roth
Staff writer
(October 27, 2006) ? ORCHARD PARK ? The Buffalo Bills long-awaited bye weekend began at approximately 11 a.m. Thursday when the team wrapped up practice and was given the OK by coach Dick Jauron to go home.
With three days off, it's the first extended break for coaches and players since training camp opened in late July. Except for a few injured players coming in for medical treatment, Ralph Wilson Stadium will be a ghost town until Monday.
"The bye week comes at a great time for us," said linebacker London Fletcher, not needing to elaborate.
The Bills are riding a three-game losing streak and their record is 2-5.
Many Bills planned to return to their hometowns; the team has players from 23 states.
Rookie Donte Whitner will be in Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday to watch his alma mater, Ohio State, play Minnesota.
Watching NFL football on TV seemed to be high on a lot of player's "to do" lists.
"It's a chance to watch other teams and to see what we want to do and how we're going to do it," quarterback J.P. Losman said.
Injured players Roscoe Parrish (hamstring), Sam Aiken (hamstring), Ryan Denney (hamstring, groin), Ryan Neufeld (heel), Tutan Reyes (shoulder) and Jabari Greer (undisclosed injury) continue to receive treatment.
Meanwhile, linebacker Takeo Spikes, who missed four games with a hamstring injury, is hoping that the extra week of rest will push him closer to being 100 percent.
"Yeah, it's frustrating," Spikes said. "When I can't do certain things the way I'm used to (because of the hamstring), and add on top of that, I'm trying to govern myself about not putting too many reps on my Achilles'. There are a lot of things coming into play, but progress is being made. This bye, though, it couldn't have come at a better time for me."