The men on Buffalo's roster have used the better part of the last four months to prepare for the 2009 regular season that is finally upon them. All the offseason work is done for the payoff that will come in Week 1 and the four months that follow.
The only problem is the Bills will be one of the last teams to hit the field with their opener taking place on Monday night. Only Oakland and San Diego will kick their seasons off later than Buffalo. With several of the players anxious to get the season started, watching 28 other teams compete on Sunday while cooped up in a hotel in New England will be easier said than done.
"You've got to have patience," said Steve Johnson. "As far as waiting for our turn on Monday night it's just like any other big game that our veterans have been through in their career. My career it'll be like waiting for a late game in college. There are going to be a lot of nerves, but that comes with any game."
Nerves aren't the issue so much as simply wanting to get out on the field and do what they'll be watching the rest of the league doing through the course of the day on Sunday.
"I know I'm going to get pretty anxious by Monday, especially for a night game sitting around the hotel," said rookie Andy Levitre. "I just want to get out there and get going. We'll be pretty busy Sunday with meetings. But Monday sitting around will be tough."
Fellow rookie Aaron Maybin, who is almost never relaxed, has a couple of ideas as to how he'll pass the time waiting for the bus to leave for the stadium Monday.
"I'm always on edge, but it comes with the territory so I might play some cards or something," he said. "I'll just sit in the room."
Having all that time on their hands waiting for game time is hard enough. Forced to stay off their feet while being able to watch the rest of the league play won't make it any easier.
For the rookies the anticipation of their first regular season game may only add to the restlessness many of them will be feeling.
"Sitting around the hotel gets to me," said Levitre. "I think to myself, 'Man what am I going to do with myself for eight hours?'"
Demetrius Bell, who will also be making his first NFL start Monday night, is going to try to treat it like any other game week.
"I'm not going to get myself overexcited and exhaust myself out," said Bell. "It's a normal week for me and I think I'm going to be alright."
And knowing not many national prognosticators are expecting much from them has the players additionally motivated to get their season underway.
"We definitely do have a lot to prove to ourselves, to our fans, our coaching staff, and everybody knows the amount of talent that we have here and everybody knows what this team is capable of," said Maybin. "But all of that is really just speculation until you're able to step on the field and actually put some work in. We're excited to be able to get out there and start proving people wrong."
