By Tim Graham
Buffalo Bills running back Fred Jackson wasn't overly pleased with how his right knee responded at practice today.
Jackson, recovering from a sprained knee on opening day, has personally targeted Sunday's game against the New England Patriots for his return. That was considered a fast-track goal, but Jackson practiced this afternoon in hopes he can pull it off.
"There were some things that I liked, but there's a lot of stuff that I've got to work on, too," Jackson said after practice at One Bills Drive. "It's a good thing we've got a week. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully, it will continue to get better. "
How Jackson's injured knee feels Thursday morning will be critical to determining his chances of playing Sunday.
"That's what's going to determine more than anything, what I'm feeling like the next day," Jackson said. "If I can continue to come out here and work, that'll help me get better.
"But if I wake up tomorrow and it's too swollen or too sore to do anything, that's going to set me back."
Jackson said pain is not an issue as much as explosiveness or mentally trusting the knee.
He is wearing a customized brace to protect the sprained lateral collateral ligament. He claimed the brace felt "OK, not uncomfortable," but that it will take some getting used to.
"The strength of it is what it is, just being able to have trust in it to where I can plant on it and get out of a cut like I'm used to before I hurt it," Jackson said.
