NFL upholds suspension of Bills’ Lynch (3 games)
The Buffalo Bills are hoping to get off to a fast start this season with Terrell Owens now a part of the offense, but the Bills have now officially learned that they won’t have Pro Bowler running back Marshawn Lynch for the first three games of the season.
Actually, this isn’t really news to the team, as Lynch was suspended months ago in the wake of Lynch’s guilty plea in March to a misdemeanor gun possession charge in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Lynch and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and three years of probation in the case.
However, commissioner Roger Goodell has lessened suspensions in the past on appeal (as he did for Denver’s Brandon Marshall last season). But Lynch’s suspension stands.
Lynch will sit out the Bills’ season opener at New England on Sept. 14, the home opener against Tampa Bay on Sept. 20 and the Week 3 home game against New Orleans on Sept. 27. The Bills are 3-point underdogs for Week 1 against the Pats on WagerWeb.com but probably will be favored on WagerWeb.com for those following two games even without Lynch, who will be allowed to participate in all preseason practices and games before the suspension begins Sept. 5.
“We’re disappointed,” said coach Dick Jauron. “Obviously we’ll lose a real good football player for three games. But hopefully Marshawn’s learned a good deal from it. He’s a guy we have a lot of belief in. We really like this man on our team. But he’s paying a price.”
To carry the running game in Lynch’s absence, Buffalo will count on two versatile veteran backs – Fred Jackson and newly acquired Dominic Rhodes. Jackson filled in well for Lynch the past two seasons, twice rushing for more than 100 yards in a game, including last year’s finale when he gained 136 yards on 27 carries vs. New England. The Bills signed him to a contract extension in the offseason after he rushed for 571 yards and caught 37 passes for 317 yards in 2008.
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