The injury hits just keep coming for the Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills aren’t having the season anyone was expected. While there are more than a handful of possible causes, one is definitely the decimation of their roster due to injuries — at least on the defensive side. As they get ready to host the Denver Broncos for Monday Night Football, things just keep looking more grim.

All-Pro safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer as well as cornerback Christian Benford were all non-participants in Thursday’s practice. If for some reason none of them can play Monday, it means that more than half of the Bills’ starting roster from Week 1 won’t be on the field.

The concern for Hyde is that he has yet another neck/stinger injury. This is how last season ended for him, although it was back in Week 2 then. Hopefully this isn’t as serious an injury as last year, but the 32-year-old safety does have a history of neck injuries and, of course, we aren’t going to get any information coming from the Bills’ coaching staff, which stays very noncommittal about anything to do with the health of their players.

Jordan Poyer with a shin injury is new news. While the Bills had a couple of injuries not addressed during their Sunday night loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, head coach Sean McDermott did mention them in his post game interview, noting that Poyer was kicked in the leg during the Week 9 game.

Christian Benford first showed up on the Bills’ injury list with a hamstring injury last Friday but didn’t have a game day designation. After playing the first half of Sunday night’s game, the second-year cornerback took a seat on the bench and didn’t return.

It wasn’t all bad news on Thursday’s report though. Quarterback Josh Allen was a full participant on the first day of practice — something we haven’t seen since he initially injured his shoulder. For the past two weeks, Allen spent the first day — or more — not practicing or limited, so an upgrade to being a full participant on day one is definitely good news.

Other good news is that linebacker Terrel Bernard has already moved through a couple of stages of the NFL’s concussion protocol. While we don’t know exactly where he is in the process, the fact that he was limited Thursday means he’s not at the bottom. Hopefully he can make it back to the field — if not, that’s one more starter from Week 1 that the Bills will have to play without.

Linebackers A.J. Klein and Baylon Spector continue to work through injures — back for Klein and a hamstring for Spector — and were limited Thursday. Neither were active last week, so maybe we’re closer to seeing them back in uniform than not. Let’s hope so because right now, the Bills are looking at having to go with Tyrel Dodson, rookie Dorian Williams, and special-teamer Tyler Matakevich.

A long week just got longer, Bills Mafia.