Bills notebook: Parrish replaced as top punt returner
Published: October 21, 2009, 10:47 pm
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The Buffalo Bills have benched the NFL's two-time defending punt return champion.
That could be considered one of the more forceful messages coach Dick Jauron has sent in his Bills tenure.
Jauron confirmed Wednesday that running back Fred Jackson will serve as the punt returner against Carolina this week.
"I think we'll stay with what we did last Sunday," Jauron said. "I think it worked out pretty well."
Parrish was the league leader in punt return average in 2007 and '08. In fact, he's the NFL's all-time leader in punt-return average at 13.07 yards.
Parrish was on the injury list last week with a sore thigh, and he was inactive for the Jets game. Jackson had a 27-yard return against the Jets and had a 22-yarder that was called back by penalty.
Parrish was considered a prime prospect to get traded at the NFL trade deadline Tuesday, but no deal materialized. Eleven days ago, Parrish muffed a punt deep in Bills territory late in the game against Cleveland that led to the Browns' winning field goal.
Asked if he thought Parrish was pressing, Jauron said: "Probably. He's a great effort guy and a very competitive guy. He wants to make plays. He really wants to make plays, so I'd say that's probably right."
The Bills probably will be without starting defensive tackle Kyle Williams versus Carolina. He suffered a dislocation of the acromioclavicular joint in his shoulder versus the Jets. It's where the collarbone and the shoulder blade meet. He did not practice Wednesday.
Safety Donte Whitner (ankle) and cornerback Terrence McGee (knee) sat out practice. Safety Bryan Scott (ankle) was limited. He might still be a week away from returning.
Right tackle Jonathan Scott (ankle) also probably is another week away, at least. So expect rookie Jamon Meredith to get another start versus the Panthers. Defensive end Chris Kelsay, who got poked in the eye versus the Jets, was limited.
The Panthers are pretty healthy. Not practicing were linebacker Na'il Diggs (rib), fullback Brad Hoover (back), and running back Jonathan Stewart (Achilles). But those three are expected to play Sunday.
Receiver James Hardy returned to practice for the first time since preseason ended. Hardy has been unable to work with the team because he's on the physically unable to perform list. He underwent knee surgery in January. The Bills have a 21-day window in which they can promote him to the active roster. It's expected they will do that.
"He hasn't been on the field at all for a long time, close to a year," Jauron said. "So we'll take it a little bit slow. In other words, it's not going to be this week. Hopefully that doesn't disappoint him."
"It's been a long 10 months but now that I'm back out there I want to use the things I've learned in the offseason," Hardy said. "In training camp the problem was consistency. When I'd try to run on it for two or three days in a row it'd be a little achy. That's why they decided to put me on PUP. Now that that's over, my knee is ready. I'm ready to go."
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