The Buffalo Bills will be missing some key players as they close out the season — and the stadium.
Sunday’s game against the New York Jets will be the final regular-season game in Highmark Stadium, and likely the last one ever unless there are a host of upsets in the NFL playoffs. The playoff-bound Bills announced on Friday that they will be missing three key defensive starters, who could be getting some extra rest before the start of the playoffs.
Bills Rule Out Three Players
The team released its final injury report on Friday, ruling out safety Jordan Poyer, linebacker Terrel Bernard, and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones. Edge rusher Joey Bosa and tight end Dalton Kincaid were listed as questionable.
This will be the second straight game that Poyer missed, while Bernard has missed five total and was knocked out of Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
As SI.com’s Alex Brasky noted, Jones has also missed an extended stretch, which has left an opening for a rookie to get more playing time.
“Along with Poyer, it will also be the second straight absence for Jones, whose presence has been replaced by rookie defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, who has seen an uptick in playing time since his counterpart was lost due to injury,” Brasky wrote. “Sanders played a whopping 65% of the Billsâ defensive snaps against the Eagles, which is a significant increase from his season average of 42%.”
The Bills could get a key return soon, with star defensive tackle Ed Oliver working his way back from a torn bicep and a later knee injury that he suffered during the rehab process. The Bills said Oliver is expected to return for the playoffs, though it wasn’t clear if he would be ready for the wild-card round.
Bills Face Decision on Josh Allen
The Bills took quarterback Josh Allen off the final injury report after he missed a pair of practices during the week with an injured foot. Allen initially suffered the injury in the team’s Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns and was visibly impacted against the Eagles, limping at times in the second half.
Allen underwent X-rays following the Eagles, but the imaging came back negative and he is cleared to play against the Jets.
While it’s not clear how much Allen will play, the Bills quarterback said he wants to go under center to start the game so he can maintain his NFL-leading starting streak for quarterbacks.
“I think it’s important to me because of some of the little ailments or bumps and bruises that I’ve played through. I take a lot of pride in being out there for my teammates. I think that’s kind of the main thing,” Allen said, via SI.com.
Allen took exactly one snap in last year’s season finale, getting the start and immediately leaving the game for backup Mitch Trubisky. The Bills had nothing on the line in Week 18 last year, and have little to play for this year. They can finish anywhere from the No. 5 to the No. 7 seed, but don’t control their destiny.
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