Bills running back C.J. Spiller again took the team's Wednesday practice off. Beset with an ankle injury for almost a month, giving the ailment an extra day of rest has been instrumental in helping him to be available for each of the last three games. Much like each of the past three weeks Spiller will have to see how the rest of the practice week plays out to determine his availability for Sunday's game in New Orleans.
"I'm doing everything I can to get ready to play Sunday," said Spiller. "We haven't made any decision, I haven't heard anything. We'll see how I do the rest of the week."
Head coach Doug Marrone has fielded questions about perhaps sitting Spiller to let the feature back heal more completely instead of grinding through each game at less than 100 percent. On Wednesday Marrone sounded as open as ever to the option of sitting Spiller for one game to promote more effective healing for his running back's ankle.
"C.J. wants to go. He definitely wants to go," said Marrone. "I think we're going to have to evaluate that during the week. We'll have to make a good decision. His injury has been… he's working hard, he wants to come back and he wants to play, but at the end of the day, we've got to make a good decision to see where he's at. We've just got to get him over this hump and we haven't been able to do it for three weeks."
Spiller has maintained all along that his ankle has improved with each passing week despite playing on it.
"A whole lot better—10 times better," Spiller said. "Like I said, just a couple more hurdles I have to cross over before I can say I'm 100-percent. I definitely feel a whole lot better than I did last Wednesday.
"Nobody knows my body like me. I'm telling you I feel better. I know my body better than anybody on this team and on this earth. I know how I feel."
Spiller plans to test his ankle in practice Thursday as he has done each of the past few weeks. He's usually been listed as a limited participant on Thursdays.
"That's usually what we do, I usually get out there and take a couple (of reps)," said Spiller. "See how it feels, see how it reacts. We'll keep the same plan we've always done."
