The Buffalo Bills have a chance to strike a big blow against their division rival this weekend, but could be at risk of facing the game without their breakout defensive star.
Christian Benford was seen nursing what appeared to be a foot injury after the team’s practice on Thursday, putting his status in doubt for this weekend’s do-or-die game against the New England Patriots. The Bills have a chance to cut the division lead to one game with a win, but would fall out of contention and see the Patriots win their first title since Tom Brady’s tenure with a loss.
Christian Benford Limited in Practice
The team announced on Thursday that Benford was limited in practice with a foot injury, but Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News reported that it appeared a bit more serious than a limitation.
Lysowski shared that Benford was forced to wear a walking boot, though did not appear to be hampered in his ability to get around.
“Bills cornerback Christian Benford popped up on the injury report with a toe injury,” Lysowski wrote. “Benford was wearing a short, soft walking boot around his left foot following practice. He was walking fine. Listed as limited on the team’s injury report today.”
Benford has emerged as one of the top defensive players for the Bills, winning AFC Defensive Player of the Week in the team’s Week 13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers with a fumble recovery he returned for a touchdown.
Benford found the endzone again in Sunday’s win over the Cincinnati Bengals in what was a game-turning play. After the Bills cut Cincinnati’s lead to three points with a touchdown, Benford jumped and took a pass out of quarterback Joe Burrow’s hands on a corner blitz, returning it for the go-ahead touchdown.
Bills Still Hopeful for Division Title
While the Bills have moved comfortably back into the playoff race with two straight wins, their division hopes will live or die based on the result of Sunday’s game. Even with a win, the Bills would need some help down the final stretch in order to catch the Patriots and earn their sixth straight division title.
Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson, who has been one of the most effective players on defense, said this week that the team still has faith they can catch the Patriots.
“We’re just taking one game at a time. The division is still open. We still got four games left. Anything can happen,” Thompson said, via SI.com. “Right now, we’re just taking one game at a time, and this week we got the Patriots.”
Bills head coach Sean McDermott added that the team set a goal to win the division, ensuring at least one postseason game in Orchard Park and an extra game in Highmark Stadium before it closes at the end of the year.
â[Winning the division is] certainly one of our goals every year. We also have other goals amongst that goal as well. So, we go into every game with the mindset of playing our best football,” McDermott said.
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