ORCHARD PARK - In Travis Henry's never-ending search to gain respect, the running back has discovered the hard way how time and perseverance can heal most wounds.
Being part of the resurgent Tennessee Titans doesn't hurt either.
But there's more to it than that for Henry, a player who's career has been defined by the obstacles he's overcome: injuries, a substance abuse suspension and a bitter trade from Buffalo.
It's a reason why the six-year NFL veteran, who is 26 yards rushing short of 1,000 this season, was at peace in preparing to make his first trip back to Orchard Park on Sunday to face his former Bills team that delivered, as Henry once memorably put it, “a slap in the face.”
“I hold no grudges,” he said, referring to the Bills drafting Willis McGahee in 2003, a move that eventually supplanted Henry as their No. 1 running back and led to his trade to Tennessee two years later. “There ain't nothing to prove.”
No, he and the Vince Young-led Titans (7-7) have done enough of that already in winning five straight and seven of nine.
And Henry is well aware the Bills (7-7), who have won five of seven, are no pushovers in a game with the winner having a chance to stay in playoff contention.
Two teams counted out as also-rans at the start of the season - and fully discounted after both entered November with two wins each - are attempting to turn the AFC playoff race on its head with their respective late-season surges.
The Bills hold the tiebreaker in the four-team pack at 7-7, but need help to climb past three of the four teams currently with eight wins.
No matter how things turn out, Bills coach Dick Jauron relishes the value his young team is receiving in competing in meaningful contests down the stretch.
“I think it's great for everybody that we've played ourselves into a position where it still matters,” Jauron said.
The Bills, coming off a 21-0 win over Miami, have surprisingly climbed back in the race as a result of a J.P. Losman-led offense that's discovered a big-play identity. Losman has 11 touchdowns - seven on passes 20 yards or longer - and only four interceptions in his past seven games.
Buffalo's also averaging 23 points over that stretch as opposed to 12 in its first seven games this season.
The defense is holding up despite a rash of injuries that has forced an already patchwork unit to play four rookies. While the Bills have struggled against the run, they've not allowed an opponent 300 yards passing this season and also proven opportunistic in generating 15 takeaways in their past seven games.
“I don't know if it's the fact that we're young and we don't know any better,” rookie defensive tackle Kyle Williams. “But we've gotten hot in the last six, seven weeks. And we want to continue to win.”
The Titans present an intriguing test because they have a quarterback in Young who has provided an offense a fresh breath in going 7-4 since replacing Kerry Collins as starter.
The rookie first-round draft pick out of Texas might still be struggling with his passing game, but his scrambling has kept opponents at bay. With 462 yards rushing, he's already set the NFL rookie record for quarterbacks.
Young has a flare for dramatics, engineering three comeback victories, including a 26-20 win at Houston on Dec. 10, which he capped with a 39-yard TD run in overtime.
“There is something special there,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “He has a number of ingredients, and he doesn't have more of one than the other.”
The Titans are now winning even in Young's worst outings. With Young going 8-of-15 for 85 yards, Tennessee's defense scored three touchdowns in a 24-17 win against Jacksonville last weekend.
Henry has been solid, too, enjoying a season mirroring that of his team since taking over as the starter in Week 5. He's enjoyed five 100-yard rushing games this season and leads the team with seven touchdowns.
They're numbers approaching what he did in Buffalo, when he had consecutive 1,300 yard seasons in 2002 and '03. That still didn't stop the Bills from drafting McGahee.
“It feels good, man, considering what kind of card I got dealt there,” Henry said, summing up this season. “It taught me a lot. You just have to be patient. ... Everything is working out great.”
But there's more to it than that for Henry, a player who's career has been defined by the obstacles he's overcome: injuries, a substance abuse suspension and a bitter trade from Buffalo.
It's a reason why the six-year NFL veteran, who is 26 yards rushing short of 1,000 this season, was at peace in preparing to make his first trip back to Orchard Park on Sunday to face his former Bills team that delivered, as Henry once memorably put it, “a slap in the face.”
“I hold no grudges,” he said, referring to the Bills drafting Willis McGahee in 2003, a move that eventually supplanted Henry as their No. 1 running back and led to his trade to Tennessee two years later. “There ain't nothing to prove.”
No, he and the Vince Young-led Titans (7-7) have done enough of that already in winning five straight and seven of nine.
And Henry is well aware the Bills (7-7), who have won five of seven, are no pushovers in a game with the winner having a chance to stay in playoff contention.
Two teams counted out as also-rans at the start of the season - and fully discounted after both entered November with two wins each - are attempting to turn the AFC playoff race on its head with their respective late-season surges.
The Bills hold the tiebreaker in the four-team pack at 7-7, but need help to climb past three of the four teams currently with eight wins.
No matter how things turn out, Bills coach Dick Jauron relishes the value his young team is receiving in competing in meaningful contests down the stretch.
“I think it's great for everybody that we've played ourselves into a position where it still matters,” Jauron said.
The Bills, coming off a 21-0 win over Miami, have surprisingly climbed back in the race as a result of a J.P. Losman-led offense that's discovered a big-play identity. Losman has 11 touchdowns - seven on passes 20 yards or longer - and only four interceptions in his past seven games.
Buffalo's also averaging 23 points over that stretch as opposed to 12 in its first seven games this season.
The defense is holding up despite a rash of injuries that has forced an already patchwork unit to play four rookies. While the Bills have struggled against the run, they've not allowed an opponent 300 yards passing this season and also proven opportunistic in generating 15 takeaways in their past seven games.
“I don't know if it's the fact that we're young and we don't know any better,” rookie defensive tackle Kyle Williams. “But we've gotten hot in the last six, seven weeks. And we want to continue to win.”
The Titans present an intriguing test because they have a quarterback in Young who has provided an offense a fresh breath in going 7-4 since replacing Kerry Collins as starter.
The rookie first-round draft pick out of Texas might still be struggling with his passing game, but his scrambling has kept opponents at bay. With 462 yards rushing, he's already set the NFL rookie record for quarterbacks.
Young has a flare for dramatics, engineering three comeback victories, including a 26-20 win at Houston on Dec. 10, which he capped with a 39-yard TD run in overtime.
“There is something special there,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “He has a number of ingredients, and he doesn't have more of one than the other.”
The Titans are now winning even in Young's worst outings. With Young going 8-of-15 for 85 yards, Tennessee's defense scored three touchdowns in a 24-17 win against Jacksonville last weekend.
Henry has been solid, too, enjoying a season mirroring that of his team since taking over as the starter in Week 5. He's enjoyed five 100-yard rushing games this season and leads the team with seven touchdowns.
They're numbers approaching what he did in Buffalo, when he had consecutive 1,300 yard seasons in 2002 and '03. That still didn't stop the Bills from drafting McGahee.
“It feels good, man, considering what kind of card I got dealt there,” Henry said, summing up this season. “It taught me a lot. You just have to be patient. ... Everything is working out great.”
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