The beleaguered Buffalo Bills defense took another big hit in Sunday’s win over the Miami Dolphins.
Veteran defensive tackle Dawuane Smoot was forced to leave the 30-27 win with a wrist injury, and head coach Sean McDermott announced on Monday that he would need to undergo surgery and be placed on injured reserve. Though McDermott held out hope that Smoot might be able to return, the injury is the latest for a Bills team that has already lost several key players for long stretches of the season.
Duane Smoot’s Outlook Uncertain
Smoot has been an important part of the team’s defensive line rotation, starting four games and making 1.5 sacks with 12 total tackles. Smoot also has three tackles for a loss and three quarterback hits, appearing in 48% of the team’s defensive snaps.
McDermott said on Monday that the team wouldn’t know the extent of Smoot’s injury until he underwent surgery.
“Sometimes with IR and surgeries, you’re never sure until the doctors get in there and see what exactly the extent of the injury is or was,” McDermott said.
The Bills already lost start linebacker Matt Milano to a torn pectoral muscle in training camp, with linebacker Terrel Bernard and nickel cornerback Taron Johnson also missing multiple games with injuries this season.
Rookie defensive tackle Dewayne Carter had already been placed on injured reserve after undergoing wrist surgery. Carter started in two games this season, making nine total tackles including four tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, and one pass defensed.
McDermott said on Nov. 1 that Carter would also miss a long stretch of the season.
“He’s going to end up having to get surgery so he will be out multiple weeks,” the Bills head coach said, via the team’s official website.
Another Setback on Offense
The Bills were also hit on the offensive side of the ball on Sunday, losing rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman late in the game to a wrist injury. Coleman sustained a helmet-to-helmet hit from Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer, hurting his right wrist on the play.
Poyer was flagged for unnecessary roughness, giving the Bills a key first down and extending their drive on third down. The Bills continued to drive into Dolphins territory, taking the lead for good when kicker Tyler Bass nailed a franchise-record 61-yard field goal in the closing seconds.
Coleman did not return to the game, undergoing testing on Monday. McDermott said the team is still determining the extent of his injury and whether he could miss more time.
“I’ll know more as we move through the week here,” McDermott said. “Just holding out hope one way here or the other, but we’ll see. We’ll see where it goes.”
The Bills were already without newly added wide receiver Amari Cooper, who missed Sunday’s game with a wrist injury.
Sunday’s win earned some breathing room for the Bills, moving the team to 7-2 and taking early control of the AFC East. The Bills are four games ahead of the second-place New York Jets and have the potential to clinch the division as before the end of the month.
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