It didn't look promising when Bills DL Alex Carrington was carted off late in Sunday's game against the Jets. On Monday the team's worst fears proved valid as Carrington was lost for the rest of the season with a knee injury. He was placed on injured reserve less than 24 hours after he left the Bills Week 3 game.
Bills head coach Doug Marrone delivered the bad news in his Monday afternoon press conference.
"Alex Carrington unfortunately had a torn quad tendon, which will put him out for the year," said Marrone. "He'll have surgery today."
The injury happened on a 3rd-and-6 play at the Bills 39-yard line. The Jets ran a run play up the middle and Bilal Powell was the ball carrier. Carrington engaged with Jets right guard Willie Colon and while attempting to push Colon back off the line of scrimmage, his left knee buckled on him and Carrington went down and did not get up.
Carrington, who was a starter primarily at defensive end in Buffalo's defensive scheme, was expected to have a big year. Marrone and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine spoke glowingly about him as being one of the most consistent players in training camp and the preseason.
He was poised to have a big year, even though he's asked to do a lot of the dirty work in Buffalo's scheme. That all ended on the sixth to last play of Sunday's game.
"I feel bad. I'm not going to lie to you and sit here and say next man up," said Marrone. "You have feelings and that's what's difficult. Here's someone who has been very productive for the past three games and someone who is a very good football player. Here's a player who has put in a lot of time, that's been very consistent, a good leader for us and done everything we've asked him to do, and unfortunately he has an injury. "
Expected to fill the void left by Carrington is first-year defensive lineman Corbin Bryant. A former undrafted rookie with Chicago, Bryant spent 2011 on the Pittsburgh practice squad and joined Buffalo's practice squad late last season before making this year's 53-man roster.
Dareus, McKelvin, Stevie, Spiller, Mario all nickedThe Bills sustained a few other injuries in Sunday's game, but none as serious as Carrington's.
"C.J. Spiller had a quad. I believe he'll be fine," said Marrone. "Marcell Dareus had an ankle. I believe he'll be fine. Stevie Johnson had a hamstring I believe he'll be fine. Leodis McKelvin has a hamstring. We'll see how that is when he comes back and starts working on the field. Mario Williams had an ankle, but he was playing the whole game and at the end he had an ankle that I wasn't aware of until afterwards. We think he'll be fine."
