He was held out of practice Wednesday for the Bills, but Kyle Williams foot injury has been an issue far longer than just this past week. The nagging problem worsened this past Sunday when he drove off the injured left foot the wrong way. Now Buffalo's Pro Bowl defensive tackle is just trying to heal up in time for this week's game at the Meadowlands against the Giants.
"Hopefully I can go out and play and go win a football game and then I'd have two weeks to rest up and get ready for the second half of the year," said Williams in reference to Buffalo's Week 7 bye. "I've always been pretty quick with healing, but it's an irritating thing and it's been bothering me. It came to a head on Sunday and hopefully we can manage it and get it under control where I can go out and be effective."
Williams would not disclose the nature of his foot injury, but said he knew back in training camp that it was going to be something he'd have to deal with the entire season. At times the injury has compromised Williams' trademark explosion off the ball that makes him such an effective interior penetrator.
"It's a pretty sensitive spot in my foot. Once I get warmed up and going it's been okay, but it came to a head Sunday," he said. "I thought someone had fallen and hit me in a bad spot, but I just came off of it in a bad way and couldn't do anything. Hopefully we can get some strength back in there and calm the inflammation down and play on Sunday. That's what I want to do."
The defensive lineman said his foot has improved considerably since Monday as he's able to do more on his injured foot. Knowing he has three more days to heal up and improve he's encouraged about his chances of being in the lineup Sunday, but practice is another story.
"I'm going to do whatever I can," said Williams. "I think as far as game plan goes, I think we're in agreement with the coaches that I can take my reps watching film and talking about it in the room. You want to get out and practice, but they also want me to get some rest and get the inflammation calmed down and then we make a decision on Sunday morning probably."
With Buffalo's bye week coming up next week Williams seems to prefer playing this week knowing he's got two weeks to heal it up after Sunday's game for the back half of Buffalo's 2011 schedule.
"I want to be out there and I want to play," he said. "If it's at all possible where I can play and help our guys I'm going to do it. You deal with things weekly in the NFL. The thing that concerned me was if I couldn't do something. I feel like we're moving in the right direction. I could do some things (Wednesday) that I couldn't do (Tuesday) and I've got a few more days to get better and get ready, so I expect to play."
