While nothing has been made official as of early Friday morning, it appears if the Buffalo Bills will rise above .500 for a third time in five games, they’ll do so largely on the legs of running back Boobie Dixon.

Neither Lesean McCoy (hamstring) and Karlos Williams (concussion) have been healthy enough to practice this week and while head coach Rex Ryan hasn’t ruled either out for Sunday’s game at Tennessee, it’s highly probable both they’ll be dressed in street clothes.

As insurance the Bills signed veteran running back Daniel Herron this week.  Herron along with Cierre Wood may get touches, but make no mistake about it—the running game will be centered around Dixon.

By his own admission, Dixon has gotten off to a slow start this year.  He’s scored a touchdown but through four weeks has just eight total rushes and has netted zero yards.  That’s a far cry from last year, when Dixon ran for 60 yards in the opener at Chicago and 51 yards against Minnesota a few weeks later.

Dixon got the chance in 2014 after both C. J. Spiller and Fred Jackson were injured in the same game.  It appears he’ll get another shot this week.

Dixon admits to frustration at how 2015 has played out for him to this point. Still, it’s important for him to keep an optimistic state of mind.

“Yeah it has been tough,” Dixon told reporters this week. “Last year I had… I started off a little better. I had a couple of big runs, you know my average, everything was looking better. But I have been struggling this year, hasn’t been happening the same way, but I am staying positive. My teammates, they are still backing me and they are just telling me just keep on grinding it is going to happen to me.

He finally feels healthy.  Dixon missed most of training camp and the preseason with a lingering calf injury.  He confess to it being difficult getting back in the swing of things.

"I had missed everything basically,” he said. “You know training camp, preseason, and now that I got a couple games under my belt, I feel more like a football player. At first I was just kind of saying going out there with no action, but now that I got some reps I kind of see it. I feel more like a football player, and I think I am ready to go now."

Dixon hasn’t been a regular starter in the backfield since being a senior at Mississippi State six years ago.  Last year he had one shot at being the “workhorse” back; a game against the Ryan-coached New York Jets where Dixon managed just 44 yards on 20 carries.

”It has been a minute,” Dixon said.  “So yeah I am getting that feeling again. I have been watching some of my old clips. Watching some of my old runs. Just trying to get that good feeling going and trying to keep that positive mind set. I can’t wait for Sunday.”

Dixon will get the start in the Bills backfield and if things go his way is in line to have a big day. However, Bills running back coach Anthony told Buffalo News reporter Tyler Dunne that Dixon's lack of explosiveness is why the team inked Herron this week.

"He hasn’t been quite as explosive as I’ve seen him in the past," Lynn told Dunne. "That’s why we went and signed another guy. We’ll use him in situations he can compete in — big personnel packages, short yardage, goal line. Excellent blocker. We’ll use him as a power back."

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