Bills RB Fred Jackson Should Play Against the Patriots, and Other AFC East News

It was believed that the Bills would field a one-dimensional offensive attack without their two best running backs, but Buffalo got some good news on Thursday.

Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News says Bills running back Fred Jackson looks likely to play on Sunday against the Patriots.

The quotes are all over the map, and they range from positive to vague to...more vague.

Gaughan writes:

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"Fred worked and worked well today, and there didn't seem to be any residual affect negatively from yesterday," Bills coach Chan Gailey said.

Jackson, who sprained his knee in the season opener, worked most of the practice. "He was in there at the very end ... I think if we make it through the next couple days and continue to improve I think he'll have the opportunity to play," Gailey said. ...

Gailey said running back C.J. Spiller took a few reps as he tries to come back from a shoulder injury suffered Sunday. "He didn't take a lot, but he took a few and he got back into the swing of things," Gailey said. "We didn't do tackling drills out there ... We'll see where it takes us. I don't know where it's going."

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The Bills have become more dependent on their running game than they've ever been under head coach Chan Gailey. To have one of their best running backs back in action is a huge win going up against a division opponent and one of the best teams in the conference.

Still, how healthy will Jackson be? Is he truly at 100 percent?

It was said just days ago that it was 70-75 percent likely Jackson would play; that, to me, indicates that he's not fully healthy. If he feels alright after practice, that's a good sign to be sure, but he may not return to peak form on the field for another week or two.

Here is some more news and updates from around the AFC East.

New York Jets

Erik Manassy of Scout.com says Jets head coach Rex Ryan has to stop playing mad scientist in regard to Antonio Cromartie (CB/WR), Joe McKnight (RB/CB) and Tim Tebow (QB/WR/ST).

Stephen Hunter of The Sports Geek Jets blog explains why Jets right tackle Austin Howard has been struggling in pass protection.

Miami Dolphins

Bleacher Report Dolphins featured columnist Alessandro Miglio takes an in-depth look at the Dolphins woes in the secondary.

Dave Carey of CBS Sports writes that injuries are mounting for the Dolphins.

New England Patriots

Christopher Price of WEEI.com gets a scout's perspective on the upcoming game between the Patriots and the Bills.

Mike Dussault of PatsPropaganda.com gives us his five keys to victory for New England.

Buffalo Bills

Tim Graham of The Buffalo News writes that Bills rookie cornerback Stephon Gilmore is girding himself for his first showdown with Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Paul Hamilton of WGR 550 Sportsradio wonders whether the Bills have enough firepower on defense to shut down the high-powered Patriots attack.

Erik Frenz is the AFC East lead blogger for Bleacher Report. Be sure to follow Erik on Twitter and "like" the AFC East blog on Facebook to keep up with all the updates. Unless specified otherwise, all quotes are obtained firsthand.