Orchard Park, N.Y. -- Kyle Williams has grown his beard out. It's mostly red, but there are distinct patches of gray near his chin.

It's one of the few signs of Williams' age. The 34-year old Buffalo Bills defensive tackle is in his 12th season with the team, the final season of his current contract. It could very well be the final season of his storied career that has included five trips to the Pro Bowl and enough sacks to rank him sixth in franchise history. If he does decide to hang them up, the Bills' Week 15 game against the Dolphins would be his final home game in front of the fans he so passionately praised after the team's snowy win against the Colts.

Williams is doing what he can to push that idea out of his mind. This game is too important for the 7-6 Bills for him to be thinking about his future, his past or what this Sunday might mean.

"I try not to think about it, or I don't think about it just because of, it's a distraction for me mentally," Williams said. "There's enough trouble in the day of getting ready for the Dolphins and trying to finish this strong and get to where we want to go and accomplish our goals. I'm not going to make it about me and I'm not going to think about it in those terms. I'm going to go out, it's our last home game of the season, and we're going to try and beat the Dolphins."

If the Bills beat the Dolphins, they will improve their chances at doing something Williams has never done, which is play in the playoffs. No player on the roster has been in Buffalo longer than Williams, and he's still the one who makes this team tick.

"Hands down, the guy can make everyone in here run through a wall," defensive end Jerry Hughes said. "He gets you amped up, gets you going. There's eight inches of snow on the ground, you can't see anything, but you're amped up, juiced up, ready to play football. That's just the kind of leader he is. Then you'll see him in here, working hard, showing the young guys how to be a veteran, what it takes to be a player in the league and play at a high level."

In that sense, Williams is as valuable as ever. Even if he's not playing at the same level he was five years ago, he's not too far off. And his leadership in the locker room is has only gotten better with age. He's the one firing up players before the game in the locker room. Earlier this season, he got choked up telling his teammates how much he loved playing with them in a post-game victory speech. Those are the qualities the Bills will find even more tough to replace than his production on the field.

"What sometimes does not get enough recognition is what he does off the field and the type of man that he is," Bills coach Sean McDermott said. "I've said it before, before you win on the field you have to win off the field. I think he embodies that for us, along with a lot of the other players in our locker room. The good part is, it just doesn't stop there with Kyle. He's been very valuable for me in terms of the leadership in that locker room."

Maybe Williams won't be thinking about the possibility that Sunday will be his final time playing in front of his beloved Buffalo fans. Maybe his teammates will keep it out of their mind as well. But Bills fans certainly shouldn't. A sure bet for the Wall of Fame, Williams holds a special place in the team's history, even if his career coincided with the team's lack of success.

So when you get to your seat on Sunday, watch how Williams interacts with his teammates before the game. Focus on him for a few plays to see his trademark hustle and tenacity. And remember that players and people like Williams don't come around all the time.