ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -Bills running back Fred Jackson isn’t buying into the “Marshawn Who?” talk.
It was never Jackson’s intention to steal the starting job while Marshawn Lynch opened the season serving an NFL-imposed three-game suspension. Jackson’s eye-popping production aside, he’s eager to welcome back Lynch once he’s eligible to return next week after the Bills (1-1) host New Orleans (2-0) on Sunday.
“He’s going to make me better,” Jackson said after practice Wednesday. “I’m excited about it and looking forward to it more than anybody.”
That doesn’t mean Jackson isn’t pleased with what he’s done while filling in.
“I guess you can say so,” he said. “I definitely wanted to use this stage and this time to kind of make a name for myself.”
That objective has been achieved based on the buzz Jackson is getting after two weeks.
aking good use of his two-dimensional talent.
Jackson leads the team with 220 yards rushing and 108 yards receiving. Overall, his 328 yards from scrimmage account for nearly half of the 714 yards the Bills offense has generated.
“I don’t think anybody’s more excited than myself,” Jackson said. “I’m just trying to let them know that I’m another valuable weapon on this team and I want to be used as much as possible.”
He’s made an impression on rookie offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
“He’s a workhorse. There is no question. There is nobody in this organization that doubts his ability,” Van Pelt said. “Obviously, we miss Marshawn because we don’t want to pound Fred 30 times a game. And when we get those two guys back together, I think it’s a dynamic duo.”
That should be the case so long as Lynch can stay out of trouble.
He was suspended for violating the league’s personal conduct policy after pleading guilty in March to a misdemeanor gun charge in Los Angeles. It was Lynch’s second run-in with the law following a hit-and run-accident in Buffalo in May 2008.
Lynch is barred from taking part in Bills activities and has been forced to work out on his own while serving the suspension. Last weekend, he was spotted attending a high school football game in Buffalo.
ets back I’m going to go out there and try to continue to do what I’ve been doing and, hopefully, we can make some more plays off each other.”
Jackson’s hot start can in part be attributed to the arrival of Terrell Owens, who provides the Bills passing attack an additional deep threat opposite fellow receiver Lee Evans. Their ability to stretch the field makes it more difficult for opposing defenses to protect against the run.
“He’s a huge factor,” Jackson said of T.O. “Any time you have a weapon like that, it’s going to make everybody else on the field that much better.”
Jackson was signed to the Bills practice squad in 2006, four years after he had completed his college career at Division III Coe College. Promoted to the Bills active roster in 2007, Jackson began making an impact last year when he had 571 yards rushing – averaging five yards a carry – in 16 games, including three starts.
The Bills were so confident in Jackson’s abilities to fill in for Lynch this year that they released veteran Dominic Rhodes a week before the start of the season.
Despite a sore left hand, which he hurt in the preseason, Jackson had 57 yards rushing and added a team-leading 83 yards receiving and a touchdown in Buffalo’s season-opening 25-24 loss at New England. Then came last weekend, when he averaged 5.8 yards a carry against a Buccaneers defense that once prided itself on its ability to stop the run.
“I wouldn’t say I’m surprising myself,” said Jackson, who has gained over 100 yards from scrimmage in his past four games dating to the end of last season. “It’s definitely something to look back on and be proud of. It’s a solid start.”
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