Bills Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kyle Williams said last week he was hopeful that three weeks of complete inactivity for his ailing left foot would make a difference and allow him to contribute to Buffalo's push for their first postseason berth in 12 years. Following a visit with a foot specialist in North Carolina the Bills made the decision they hoped they wouldn't have to placing the defensive tackle on injured reserve ending his season.
At this point there is no word as to whether Williams will undergo surgery, but he did indicate that addressing the problem with surgery was a strong possibility.
"It's something we might have to address at the end of the year," Williams said heading into the Bills bye week. "It's probably something we're going to have to look at."
Though Chan Gailey and his defensive staff have functioned without Williams in the lineup the past three games, it wasn't a scenario they ever wanted to work around.
"You never breathe easy when you lose an All-Pro player," Gailey told Buffalobills.com. "That is a huge loss for our football team when he's not in the game. Not only by his play, but by his leadership and the energy he brings to the game."
Williams appeared in just the first five games this season. A foot injury that first surfaced in training camp got progressively worse and robbed the defensive lineman of his trademark burst off the ball. Without that short area speed and quickness absent from his game his overall performance suffered making him less than the Pro Bowl player he was a season ago.
For the self-motivated Williams, sitting and watching the past three games was not easy. Knowing he's going to miss the last eight is going to prove just as hard.
"It's been tough," Williams admitted. "I've been talking to coach and been here playing so hard for so long and struggled through some tough times. Now we've got a really good team and everything is right in front of us and here I am."
The past two games Williams' chief replacement has been Marcell Dareus, who is now expected to remain at nose tackle knowing Williams' season is over.
Williams and Dareus were forecast to be a troubling tandem for opposing offensive lines, but that duo never really got started. Behind Dareus will be Torell Troup and Kellen Heard, who have flashed in reserve roles.
Williams finishes 2011 with just nine tackles including one for loss.
