Bills’ Sean McDermott confirms suspicion on multiple key playmakers as Buffalo will be shorthanded against the Panthers
Not the update fans were hoping to hear ahead of Week 8.
The injury bug has hit the Buffalo Bills hard this season, and the latest update from head coach Sean McDermott doesn’t make things easier. McDermott spoke on WGR 550 AM and provided a slew of updates ahead of Sunday’s matchup.
Heading into Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers, the Bills are going to be without a few key players as receiver Josh Palmer and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones have been ruled out. Not only that, safety Taylor Rapp has been ruled out of the contest and will be placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least the next four games.
Rapp’s injury stems from training camp, and the Bills will be looking to shake things up as one of their starting safeties is out for the foreseeable future.
Rookie safety Jordan Hancock flashed during the preseason and could be someone that the team leans more heavily on over the next few weeks. More likely than not, though, it’ll be veteran safety Jordan Poyer getting the start at safety.
Poyer was activated for the first time against the Atlanta Falcons, so expect the team to make some sort of announcement in the coming days.
McDermott also shared that tight end Dalton Kincaid and linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard are questionable for the contest. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel, along with edge Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, are expected to play Sunday.
Next-man-up for Buffalo
Fortunately for the Bills, they are getting back two defensive difference-makers in Hoecht and Ogunjobi, making the loss of Jones sting just a bit less. To add some more good news, McDermott said “we’ll see” when discussing rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston moving off injured reserve onto the active roster.
It doesn’t ease the concern of fans seeing both starting linebackers questionable and potentially having quarterback Josh Allen down one of his most important weapons in Dalton Kincaid. There’s only one practice remaining for the Bills on Friday, with a slew of important players missing time.
The bye week is meant to recharge, recenter, and refocus, especially for a team coming off consecutive losses. However, for the Bills, it looks like that extra time off didn’t do much on the injury front. As always, next man up for Buffalo.
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