Bills Injury Report: Josh Allen has to be thrilled with the latest team update, despite Ed Oliver being ruled out for Week 2 vs. Jets
An exciting update from One Bills Drive.
The Buffalo Bills have ruled out defensive tackle Ed Oliver for the upcoming Week 2 contest against the New York Jets. Oliver was seen in a walking boot on Thursday. On Friday, while speaking with WGR550, head coach Sean McDermott officially ruled out the defensive tackle.
His absence will be felt in the matchup as Oliver had a career day in Week 1 against the Ravens, earning him the No. 1 overall-rated defensive tackle according to Pro Football Focus.
After that bad news, though, Friday’s injury report gave the Bills Mafia a breath of fresh air. Christian Benford, Brandon Codrington, Keon Coleman, James Cook, Dawson Knox, and Greg Rousseau were all full participants and are expected to be cleared.
Some big-name offensive players being healthy has to make quarterback Josh Allen thrilled about Week 2.
Unfortunately, Taron Johnson, Jordan Hancock, Shaq Thompson, and Tre’Davious White were all limited during practice, and their status for Week 2 is unclear. Practicing in even a limited capacity is a good sign, but the team has been hesitant in rushing back players from injury.
Josh Allen and the offense look healthy heading into Week 2
The offense was firing on all cylinders during the thrilling Week 1 victory, with Allen totaling over 400 yards of offense. There was a brief period during the Week 2 preparations where a handful of top weapons were limited in some capacity, which could have spelled disaster for the offense.
Luckily for Allen, it looks like he’ll have all his weapons back for the upcoming divisional showdown with Coleman, Knox, and Cook being at full health.
In their Week 1 win against the Ravens, some of these players made a huge impact on the contest.
James Cook finished his day with 13 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown, Keon Coleman had eight catches for 112 yards and a touchdown, while Knox added two catches for 20 yards but was instrumental as a blocker in the game.
Having that kind of production on Sunday will go a long way toward the team pulling out the win.
Ed Oliver being out means more of T.J. Sanders
Oliver was the only player officially ruled out for the contest, and McDermott has already made a statement about Sanders with his role in the upcoming game. The second-round rookie should see increased reps in Oliver’s absence.
There’s also the potential of Zion Logue, Jordan Phillips, or even Phidarian Mathis, who joined the team’s practice squad on Tuesday, to see some action as well, with a call-up from the practice squad.
Regardless, they will have big shoes to fill. When discussing the next-man-up type mentality and what Sanders or others need to do, the head coach laid it all out on the line.
Tre’Davious White is trending in the right direction
White, who was limited, has been getting back in shape while recovering from an injury that sidelined him for Week 1. Despite being limited, McDermott and the coaching staff haven’t ruled him out of the contest quite yet.
While Dorian Strong did show up in place for White and even had an open field tackle on Derrick Henry, having White back will go a long way toward shutting down the Jets’ offense. When speaking with WGR550, McDermott offered a tight-lipped response on White’s availability.
“(White) had a pretty good week,” McDermott said while offering that they’ll see where he is on Friday after practice.
The head coach had spoken up earlier in the week about Strong’s efforts filling in, all while putting the utmost confidence in White and his abilities for his eventual return.
“Dorian is a young player who did some good things [. . .] But we have a lot of confidence in Tre,” McDermott said.
All that’s left to do is wait and see the remaining status for some of the questionable players on the roster. The Bills Mafia won’t have to wait long as the Jets and Bills are set for action on Sunday, Sept. 14, in New Jersey.
Just another reminder that Buffalo is truly the only team that plays in New York.
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