Last week, as the Buffalo Bills prepared for their AFC Wild Card matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, fans sat on the edge of their seats waiting to see if wide receiver Cole Beasley would play.
The veteran wideout had suffered a knee injury in Week 16 against the New England Patriots and it was up in the air whether or not he would take the field against the Colts, after already sitting out Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins. So, it was either play or hope that his team could pull off the victory without him and rehab for one more week.
On Tuesday, Beasley met with the media ahead of Buffalo’s second-round playoff matchup with the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night and gave the media insight about his process of working his way back to the field. He said after having to sit out Buffalo’s final regular season game, there was no chance that he was missing another game.
“When I had to watch Week 17, it tore me up and I told them there was no way that I was watching another game,” Beasley said on Tuesday during a video conference call. “The pain that I felt from watching that game mentally was worse than any pain that I was going to feel physically.”
Although he was listed as questionable heading into Saturday’s game, Beasley said that he knew he was going to play after going through a limited practice on Thursday, it was just a matter of getting the extra work in leading into the game. Turns out he caught a team-high seven passes for 57 yards as the Bills won 27-24.
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Beasley Said He’s Good to Go For Saturday
After battling through practices last week and not knowing if he’d play until Thursday, Beasley is much more optimistic about Buffalo’s matchup with the Ravens.
The former Southern Methodist receiver said he’s already much further ahead this week than he was a week ago. Although he may not be at 100-percent, Beasley should be better physically, and ability-wise, compared to where he was during Buffalo’s matchup with Indianapolis.
“In my mind, I don’t think I’ll be as limited as I was last week so that’s all I care about,” Beasley said on Tuesday during his video conference call. “I just want to be better than I was last week and I just want to keep improving. I don’t want to be a liability.”
Beasley has been one of Buffalo’s biggest producers this season and he’s also been one of quarterback Josh Allen’s favorite targets.
In 15 regular season games, Beasley caught 82 passes for 967 yards, which were both career-highs, and four touchdowns. He averaged 11.8 yards per catch and 64.5 yards per game while also locking up an AP second-team All-Pro award to end the season.
Beasley Woke Up Sore on Sunday
Throughout the game last Saturday, Beasley grimaced between plays and would limp to the huddle or to and from the sideline. He looked as though he was barely able to play. But, when the ball was snapped, Beasley knew there was a job to do and he was able to get through each play while helping his team secure their first playoff win in 25 years.
The next day was a different story for the veteran receiver.
“The next day is always the worst,” Beasley said on Tuesday. “The adrenaline still carries over after the game for me, so it’s like you gotta have time to come down from it for a little while. But, I don’t sleep well after games anyway. It’s so hard for me to come down from that rush of adrenaline you get. Really that next morning after waking up was a struggle.”
Beasley was back in the facility earlier this week though preparing for the Ravens, which could be one of their toughest defensive matchups yet.
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Cole Beasley Opens Up About Injury and Game Status For Saturday