The Buffalo Bills won’t have one of their best defensive players on the field when they take on the New York Jets on Sunday, but avoided losing one of their most explosive players on offense.
The Bills ruled out defensive tackle Ed Oliver after he was injured in practice this week, losing the player who had one of the best games of his career in Week 1. Oliver was a force in the team’s come-from-behind win over the Baltimore Ravens, disrupting the offense and forcing a key fumble that allowed the Bills to win 41-40.
The Bills were also in danger of losing running back James Cook to a mid-week injury, but their final injury report showed that he will be able to take the field.
Bills Keep Top Running Back
Cook made his way onto the injury report on Wednesday, with a hamstring ailment limiting him in practice. He was able to return to practice, and by the time Friday came had no injury designation for Sunday’s game.
As Ralph Ventre of SI.com noted, Cook had a huge impact in the Week 1 win.
“Cook played 58 percent of the offensive snaps against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, and he could be in for a similar workload on Sunday in East Rutherford,” Ventre wrote. “He ran 13 times for 44 yards and one touchdown to go along with 58 yards on five receptions.”
Cook has topped the 1,00o-yard plateau in each of the last two seasons, the first Bills running back achieve that mark since LeSean McCoy.
Bills Dealing With More Injuries on Defense
The Bills have been hit harder by injuries on the defensive side of the ball. The team already ruled Oliver out of the game, with head coach Sean McDermott hinting that it could keep him out for longer than one game.
“Ed will be out this game. (He) got stepped on at practice on Wednesday, unfortunately,” McDermott said in an appearance on WGR550, via the team’s official website. “We’ll see where it goes into next week as far as his status goes.”
The Bills had many other key players limited in practice this week, including cornerbacks Taron Johnson and Tre’Davious White, defensive end Greg Rousseau, linebacker Shaq Thompson, and defensive back Jordan Hancock.
White has been out since the team’s final practice of training camp, but could be headed toward a return to the field.
“He’s had a pretty good week of getting back on the field, and we’ll see where today leads us,” McDermott said.
McDermott added that Hancock, who did not play against the Ravens, could be ready to return to the field.
“We think he’ll be available from a health standpoint, and we’ll see where that goes,” McDermott said.
The injuries this week could be exacerbated by a short week. After taking on the Jets, the Bills return to Buffalo to face the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football.
The Bills face a key early test against a Jets team that fought hard in Week 1. The Jets lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 34-32 shootout, but could be the biggest obstacle for the Bills in their quest for a sixth straight division title.
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