The Buffalo Bills escaped a muddy slobber-knocker in Nashville with a 14-7 win, but several key players left the game with injuries, adding to the long list of injured players who weren’t able to appear on the field at all.
Following the game, Sean McDermott updated the public with the status for some of Buffalo’s walking wounded. Luckily, the team has a bye week ahead to recover before they meet the Miami Dolphins (currently 0-5) for their next bout. They’ll need it.
Rookie right tackle Cody Ford is in the concussion protocol, after a head injury removed him from Sunday’s game. Undrafted rookie Ryan Bates was the substitute, since veteran Ty Nsekhe (ankle) was inactive with his injury.
Defensive end Trent Murphy is also in the concussion protocol following a late exit from the game. Rookie Darryl Johnson saw an uptick in snaps as a result.
Center Mitch Morse left the game with an ankle injury. McDermott indicated that the injury is considered a minor one, and that Morse was available as an emergency fill-in option if the Bills had suffered another spate of injuries on the line. The team used Jon Feliciano and Spencer Long to patch the line in Morse’s absence, and also had Bates (who played center in the preseason) available. Offensive lineman Ike Boettger was inactive, but is on the roster if needed.
Linebacker Matt Milano (hamstring) had to leave the Titans game in the second half. Hamstring injuries can be week-to-week for recovery, so it’s fortunate that the Bills won’t need Milano right away. Maurice Alexander was the immediate substitute, but with Corey Thompson (ankle surgery) also sidelined for the time being, the Bills might seek to add another linebacker as insurance.
Speaking of hamstrings, Sean McDermott had a word about nickel cornerback Taron Johnson and rookie running back Devin Singletary. He mentioned that the looming bye week was a consideration for sitting both players, who were otherwise close to availability. The Bills wanted to give both players a chance for full recovery rather than risk a re-injury. In the meantime, Siran Neal, Dean Marlowe, Frank Gore, and T.J. Yeldon supported their roles admirably.
Tight end Tyler Kroft (ankle) had not practiced all week in the lead-up to the Titans game. The bye week will help matters, but it may not be a guarantee to see him play against the Dolphins out of the break.
Last but not least, wideout Robert Foster (groin) is still nursing the injury that held him out of the past two games. He plans to remain in Orchard Park during the break to rehab the injury, hopefully getting him close to a return. The Bills promoted Duke Williams to the active roster, trying to add a spark to the receiving corps in the meantime.