With Charles Clay out of action, the Buffalo Bills will be looking for someone to step up in his place, and a returning Jordan Matthews could do the trick.
When the Buffalo Bills take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in Week 7, they could have a significant offseason acquisition back in the lineup. Wide receiver Jordan Matthews returned to practice this week after being out since Week 4 with a thumb injury. Matthews was expected to be out for longer. However, the fourth-year wide receiver has made great strides in his recovery.
The Bills wide receivers have been nothing short of a disappointment this season, and many see them as the worst receiving corps in the league. The Bills traded Sammy Watkins to the Rams before the season started, and also let Robert Woods walk in free agency to the Rams.
Watkins and Woods were arguably the most talented receivers on this roster last season, even though Watkins’ season was cut short due to injury. When the Bills decided to move on from Woods and Watkins, they expected other receivers to step up, which has not been the case.
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The Bills leading receiver this season has been tight end Charles Clay. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor has relied on Clay all season. However, the seventh-year tight end went down with a knee injury and won’t be back for several weeks. After Matthews, who has 162 yards on 10 catches this season, the Bills receivers have, at the end of the day, been invisible.
Rookie receiver Zay Jones has been very quiet this season, and his numbers are dismal with only five catches for 66 yards and no touchdowns. Andre Homes hasn’t flashed any top-three receiver ability this season for the Bills, with only six snags thus far. If Matthews can’t go on Sunday, the Bills could be in deep trouble on offense.
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When the Bills take on the Buccaneers on Sunday, they will be shorthanded on offense with the loss of Clay. The bottom line is, if Matthews is anywhere close to 100 percent, he needs to play or this offense could be in dire straits.