Just minutes after Buffalo's bye week practices concluded last Wednesday, offensive tackle Jonathan Scott had a smile on his face. The smile was not because he had a four-day weekend in front of him, but because he had just finished his first practice with his teammates in almost a month.
"It felt good," said Scott. "I'm baaack."
Scott missed the three games leading up to the bye week due to a high ankle sprain suffered against Cleveland in Week 5.
"Standing up the ankle felt fine, but as soon as you try to drive off the foot or turn it wasn't working. I had pain down the inside of my ankle and around the back by my Achilles. It was not good."
Rookie Jamon Meredith stepped in at Scott's right tackle position to fill the void and did a fair job, but sustained a knee injury against Houston, which could keep him out two to three weeks. So Scott's return could not have been more timely.
Scott had been in the starting lineup since Week 3 when he stepped in permanently for opening day starter Brad Butler after his ACL knee injury in Week 2.
Provided Scott comes through the week without any setbacks he's expected to start at right tackle Sunday.
Meanwhile the teammate that shares his surname is also set to return from the same kind of injury. Strong safety Bryan Scott has missed the last five games with a high ankle sprain initially suffered in the Saints game all the way back in Week 3.
Waiting that long to get back in the lineup hasn't been easy.
"You just try to offer as much help as you can attending the practices and helping the young guys," said Scott. "I feel the safeties have done a great job filling in. Jairus (Byrd) and George (Wilson) have played their tails off. I think our safety position we have a strong spot and we've just got to keep moving."
Scott began practicing on a limited basis leading up to the Houston game, but was not active in Week 8.
"It really was just to see what I can do out on the field," he said. "It did feel pretty good, but we decided to give me a little more time so after the bye there would be no setbacks and everything would be 100 percent."
The only question is will Scott be needed at linebacker?
With the linebacking corps short on experienced players Buffalo's coaching staff had Scott take some reps with the linebackers in practice during the bye week. While Scott dismissed it as an emergency type situation only, head coach Dick Jauron saw it as a real possibility, especially if Keith Ellison cannot return from a quad injury.
"We wanted him to get some work there with him just to look at it," said Jauron. "He's a good football player and he's an experienced player. We're just so beat up at that spot that it made sense to do it."
Wherever he's playing Scott is just happy to be back on the field after one of the longer layoffs due to injury in his career.
"When you have that feeling of not being out there to help your teammates you have this feeling where your self-worth is kind of down," he said. "So I'm excited to get back out there."
