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Sean McDermott suggests Matt Milano could be back this week

Only missing one game would be a lucky break.

The Buffalo Bills managed to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday despite one of their best defensive players, Matt Milano, sitting the game out. The linebacker pulled his hamstring the previous week, barely practiced, and was replaced by a tandem of A.J. Klein and Siran Neal in Buffalo’s win. But after head coach Sean McDermott spoke to the media on Monday, it sounds like Milano has a good chance to play in the next game against the Tennessee Titans.

The Bills “didn’t want a one game absence to turn into two or three games,” said McDermott, in justifying the decision to hold Milano out of the game. Implied there is that the Bills were choosing between a single missed game, or playing Milano on Sunday, potentially aggravating the injury, and causing him to lose more time. The Bills picked the single missed game.

The team is also keeping in mind the tough situation that affected several players on the roster last year, when those players returned to action from injuries as soon as they were capable. Tremaine Edmunds, Milano, and John Brown all played at a lower level of effectiveness after their quick turnaround, trying to hold down their starting roles ahead of less experienced players. Now, the team has confidence in their depth, and it paid off in their win this week.

This week, the Bills also benefit from having an extra day of rest. They play on Monday Night Football against the Titans, allowing them to delay their decisions just a little bit longer. The first injury and practice report will help set the expectation for this week.