If you're a Buffalo Bills fan who feels worn down by recent developments around the team, linebacker Lorenzo Alexander understands.

"It doesn't look picture-perfect right now," he told SiriusXM NFL Radio on Monday. "Based on the team, the history, the organization and what has happened in the past, that's where naturally people's minds want to go. But we still have a lot of great football players on this team, defensively, offensively -- we just have to continue to work to put it together.

"I don't expect anybody, based on the past, to be all happy and joyful right now. We have to go out there and earn that type of respect and calmness from the fans by going out there and playing hard and creating that type of culture. Until we start doing that, I can understand why people are going to think that way."

The Bills entered training camp with measured optimism that first-year coach Sean McDermott would be able to correct some of the failures of former coach Rex Ryan and put his team in position to compete for a playoff berth and begin to earn respect around the league.

After training camp and two preseason games, the Bills appear closer to competing for the No. 1 overall draft pick than the postseason. If the jarring trade of top receiver Sammy Watkins, an injury to his replacement, Jordan Matthews, and a poor preseason showing by quarterback Tyrod Taylor were not enough steps in the wrong direction, the surprise retirement of wide receiver Anquan Boldin was a blow to the psyche of Bills fans who now have top 2018 quarterback prospect Sam Darnold on their minds.

An aging Boldin was not going to be the linchpin of the Bills offense this season, but after Watkins was dealt away, McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane were counting on Boldin to help fill the void. While the team clearly respects Boldin's motives in retiring to continue his humanitarian work in his post-football career, it would be logical to assume they would have rather spent the past 13 days getting another receiver ready for the regular season.

So what is next for the Bills? In the short-term, there are two pieces of news that could come out of this week to raise the hopes.

First, the potential for left tackle Cordy Glenn returning to practice seemingly exists after McDermott said Sunday Glenn, who has nagging foot soreness that required an injection last week, is "improving" and the team is cautiously optimistic. Having Glenn healthy for the regular-season opener would allow the Bills to avoid having to start rookie second-round pick Dion Dawkins on Taylor's blind side against a potent New York Jets defensive line.

Second, Taylor can quiet talk of a quarterback controversy that arose when he was intercepted twice and posted a 12.0 quarterback rating in last Thursday's preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In what will be his most extensive action of the preseason, Taylor will start and play into the third quarter of Saturday's preseason trip to Baltimore. Although Taylor will be dealing with an increasingly depleted group of receivers, he will have ample opportunity that night to show he remains entrenched as the starter over rookie fifth-round pick Nathan Peterman.

Taylor taking a step forward -- or at least returning to the level of play at which he ended last season -- will likely require the Bills finding some stability at receiver after weeks of upheaval at the position. Rookie second-round pick Zay Jones projects to receive significant playing time Saturday night with Taylor alongside veteran Andre Holmes, with Brandon Tate and Corey Brown also possibilities to crack the first-team rotation.

At this point, there is little clarity on the status of receiver Rod Streater, who was carted to the locker room last Thursday with a toe injury after a promising training camp. Matthews, who fractured his sternum early in his first practice with Buffalo, insisted Sunday he will be back for Week 1 but said playing in either of the remaining two preseason games might not be worth the risk.

The Bills should be favorites in their opener Sept. 10, especially if they have Matthews and Glenn healthy for the game. Beat the Jets and the sting of an abysmal August will begin to fade. Lose to the Jets and, well, Bills fans know what that means.