Bills Injury Report: Unsettling twist as surprise late addition drops and a concerning detail makes the situation more extreme
Not the news fans wanted to hear.
Ahead of the matchup against the New England Patriots in Week 15, the Buffalo Bills gave the fanbase a big reason to be concerned with the latest injury report.
Potential concerning situation emerges
The biggest news of the day undoubtedly is that of cornerback Christian Benford. While the Bills were looking relatively healthy outside of quarterback Mitch Trubisky, it was reported that Benford was seen in a walking boot after practice. He popped up on the injury report as limited, and no information will be available until head coach Sean McDermott speaks to the media on Friday.
It cannot be overstated how important Benford has been to the defense, ascending his play from early on in the season and playing at an All-Pro level. We cannot speculate on injury, but it was a potential good sign that he was only listed as limited and did not practice.
The Buffalo Bills were looking healthy at the perfect time of the season, but now there’s another reason for concern.
Buffalo has played a handful of games severely undermanned due to injury. Just on the defense alone, the team has lost a handful of players for the season, like defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Though Oliver is progressing well and could make a return to the team come playoff time.
Joey Bosa has been highly impactful, and now he’s leaning in the right direction
Another name to watch out for is defensive tackle Joey Bosa. The veteran has been a one-man wrecking crew since joining the organization, and his impact on gamedays is profound. If Buffalo wants to get after quarterback Drake Maye, having Bosa on the field will help with that tremendously. Even limited in practice is an encouraging sign for the defense.
According to SumerSports, when Bosa is on the field, as he has been for 438 plays, the Bills’ defense has an EPA per play of -0.0393, which is significantly better than the team average across the league, all while having a success rate of 60.3%. When he’s off the field, things get much worse for Buffalo. For the 735 plays he’s been off the field, the Bills have an EPA per play of +0.0012, which is slightly worse than the team average across the league, though the success rate only dips to 57.4%
Bills’ Thursday injury report for Week 15
| Player | Injury | W/T/F |
|---|---|---|
| DE Joey Bosa | Hamstring/Wrist | Limited/Limited |
| OL Spencer Brown | Shoulder | Limited/Limited |
| WR Josh Palmer | Ankle | Limited/Limited |
| LB Terrel Bernard | Elbow | Limited/Limited |
| TE Dawson Knox | Personal | DNP/Full |
| TE Dalton Kincaid | Knee | Full/Full |
| S Cole Bishop | Calf | Full/Full |
| CB Christian Benford | Toe | Limited |
| QB Mitch Trubisky | Illness | NA/DNP |
Observations
Getting quarterback Josh Allen all of his weapons, including protection up front, is going to be paramount for the team to have success on the football field. Wide receiver Josh Palmer has been injured throughout the season, forced to sit out several games, including in the Week 14 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Fortunately, it looks like he’ll be ready to play on Sunday.
Offensive tackle Spencer Brown has already told the media that he will be a full go for Sunday, giving Allen some key protection up front.
Though David Edwards did fill in nicely in his absence, even making a crucial blitz pickup on one of the biggest moments from the comeback win over the Bengals.
Still, the biggest news of the day is Benford. While there are plenty of uncertainties, the initial lack of information makes me uneasy. We’ll just have to wait until McDermott speaks in the morning.
Losing him for any substantial amount of time this late in the season would be a devastating blow to a defense that’s had its fair share of losses already. Again, fortunately, he was limited.
With so much on the line in Week 15, Buffalo couldn’t have asked for worse timing. The Bills were finally trending toward being at full health, until the news of Benford hit. Next man up and all hands on deck for the upcoming matchup.
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