"Bills coach Chan Gailey said after practice today that linebacker Shawne Merriman suffered a strain in his lower right leg during the early part of the workout.

"Shawn put 10 pounds (of pads) on his body and went out there and had a little strain," Gailey said. "We didn't want to chance anything, so we're getting it checked out completely. We'll see what happens from there. But it wasn't anything major."

The injury almost certainly rules Merriman out for this Sunday's game against Detroit.

Asked about the disappointment of the injury, Gailey said: "What happens is everyone gets their expectations so high. You've gotta realize he hasn't played a lot of football. He hasn't had pads on in awhile, all that kinda stuff. You want him out there but he's not quite ready. We're not going to put him out there 'till he's ready. That's the No. 1 thing. We're not gonna put him out there 'till he's ready.""