It was an injury Buffalo simply could not afford to sustain with two weeks to before the season opener. But while pass protecting on a 2nd-and-4 play early in the second quarter Langston Walker recoiled his left arm in pain and eventually left the game.
Fortunately for the Bills the injury was not as bad as first feared.
"Langston had a bad bruise," said head coach Dick Jauron. "We took him in for x-rays and the x-rays were negative so we're optimistic."
Had Walker been seriously injured it would have left Buffalo without both their starting offensive tackles from last season with Jason Peters still holding out. Though Jauron was hesitant to say that Walker would be ready for the home opener in 13 days, it's believed the Bills offensive tackle will be fit to play come Sept. 7.
"I'd hesitate to day because I haven't talked to Bud (Carpenter) or the doctors, but we know nothing was broken," said Jauron.
Walker was struck by a helmet or shoulder pad on the play, and Jauron believes it may have been friendly fire.
"He got wacked by something and it was either one of them or one of us that hit him," said Jauron. "I think it might have been one of us, which is nobody's fault. It happens."
The left tackle has filled in admirably in the absence of Peters on the quarterback's blind side and held his own against perennial Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney Sunday night.
"Protection was great all day and they've got a great pass rush," said J.P. Losman. "They have smaller guys, but they're very, very quick and very strong and they play a lot of games up front with a lot of twisting and spin moves and our guys were able to handle that quite well which was good to see."
