Bills-Packers preview: Spencer Brown, Jake Kumerow injuries day-to-day

As the Buffalo Bills come out of their bye week and prepare to host the Green Bay Packers in primetime on Sunday Night Football, head coach Sean McDermott discussed the team’s health before their first practice of the week.

McDermott opened his Wednesday press meeting by getting straight to the point: “Spencer Brown and Taiwan Jones are not practicing today,” he began before later adding, “Jake Kumerow will practice today.”

Brown, the Bills’ starting right tackle, injured his ankle against the Kansas City Chiefs—and then refused to get on the cart, instead walking himself to the locker room during Buffalo’s come-from-behind-win. After the game, Brown was seen in a walking boot, but whether a week of no football activity is enough to get the right tackle back on the field remains to be seen. If Brown can’t go on Sunday evening, Buffalo has swing tackle David Quessenberry ready to step in.

McDermott said that the team will get a better look at Kumerow, who injured his ankle in Week 3 during the Bills’ only loss of the season in Miami. Kumerow has remained on the injury list each week, and hasn’t been able to work himself back onto the game day active roster yet.

With Kumerow out the past several weeks, and a Week 5 injury that landed wide receiver Jamison Crowder on Injured Reserve, Buffalo called wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins up from the practice squad. It would seem that—even if Kumerow shows he’s ready to go this week—Hodgins is likely not to return to the practice squad too soon, as he’s now listed in Crowder’s spot (behind Stefon Diggs) on the depth chart.

As for special teams stalwart Jones, McDermott had mentioned during the bye week that he had come back from Kansas City “a little banged up” and was “dealing with a little bit of a hamstring.” No update or further explanation was offered in today’s report.

Of course, cornerback Tre’Davious White has not yet been activated as he continues to recover from his ACL injury almost a year ago, as well. But to have only three players on the 53-man active roster listed as players to keep an eye on throughout the week’s injury report is a nice change for a team that has had some very lengthy reports over the first six weeks of the season.