Incognito set to face former team which banished him following bullying scandal
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Tuesday, September 22, 2015 | BataviasBest.org
Heading into Sunday’s matchup with the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Richie Incognito has started to open up about what it will mean for him to head back down south where he and the Bills will square off with his old team in Week 3. Concerning the upcoming meeting with the Dolphins, Incognito said to The Buffalo News, “I would hope that we could move past all this, but I definitely understand that it’s still going to be prevalent, probably through the end of this year.”
And perhaps even longer.
“Probably the Monday Night Football guys will be bringing it up five years from now, so we’ll see,” he added.
Incognito also mentioned how, although he will relish in beating the Dolphins this weekend if the Bills are to do so, that this matchup isn’t personal – despite the way the two sides left off a few years back.
“I’m personally motivated for every single game I play in. I’m juiced up, I’m amped up for every single game. This one just has a little more meaning,” he admitted. “There’s obviously bigger things at play here. But for me it’s just focusing, going down there and playing physical, playing tough football.”
“I think it’s one of things in professional sports where you cross paths with one of your old teams, and you want to give it to them,” he added to his earlier comments. “You want to play well and you want to come away with a win. Especially since I’m so close with some of those guys and have been competing with them for so long. It’s like a brotherly love. You want to kick your brother’s butt in anything you do. So it’s going to be fun to go down and compete with them.”
As far as what he expects come Sunday? Incognito is not sure.
“I have no idea what to expect,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of friends in the organization. I’ve got a lot of friends that still play down there. I’ve got a lot of friends in the South Florida area. I’ve always had a lot of love from their fans, I’ve got a lot of respect for them. I really enjoyed my time there, so I expect nothing but love from them, because that’s what I’ve got from them.”
Since arriving in Buffalo on a one-year deal this past February, Incognito has flown mostly under-the-radar throughout the early part of this season. In doing so, he says he has matured as a member of the Bills.
“I’ve been through a lot since I’ve been down there,” he mentioned to The Buffalo News. “There’s been a lot of a time taken for personal growth and a maturation process. Just kind of figuring out who I am and what I wanted out of my career and what I want out of life. Definitely made some big improvements, definitely made some strides from the situation in Miami and just really thankful for the opportunity to be playing again.”
I’m sure the Bills are thankful, too, for over the past two weeks Incognito has graded out as their top offensive lineman – according to Pro Football Focus.
Going forward as we approach the game on Sunday, I’m certain there will be extended coverage from around the league pertaining to Incognito and the Dolphins’ relationship. However, Incognito has been a stalwart up front for the Bills this season and I don’t see this minor distraction playing a part into his performance in Week 3 one bit. In fact, perhaps the outside noise will motivate Incognito to silence those that oppose him.
Either way, I see a return to the win column coming up for Buffalo this weekend.
Go Bills.
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