The Buffalo Bills are riding high as they head into Week 4. They have kicked off the 2025 campaign with three straight wins, and they appear to have a great opportunity to push their record to 4-0 in Week 4, as they will be meeting up against the winless New Orleans Saints when they take the field next.
Making the Bills’ hot star even more impressive is the fact that they have not been fully healthy to begin the new season, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Two guys who have been battling injuries are defensive tackle Ed Oliver and linebacker Matt Milano, and ahead of Week 4, both of these key players received their final injury updates for their team’s contest against the Saints.
Bills Rule Out Ed Oliver, Matt Milano for Week 4 vs. Saints
It’s become clear over the past few seasons that as long as Josh Allen is under center for the Bills, they will typically be able to score points on offense. The key is preventing their opponent from scoring, so the front office invested heavily in revamping their defense over the offseason. Of course, it helps when you already have star players like Oliver and Milano on your roster.
The problem, of course, is that both guys have been battling injuries as of late. Oliver only managed to play in Week 1 before suffering an ankle injury that forced him to miss Buffalo’s past two games, while Milano missed the Bills’ Week 3 win over the Miami Dolphins due to a pectoral injury.
Injuries have been a problem for Milano in particular in the past, but it seems like the team is simply looking to play it safe with two of their top defenders early in the season. Sure enough, after both Oliver and Milano failed to take the field for any of the Bills’ three practices this week, they ended up being ruled out for the team’s Week 4 clash with the Saints.
Bills Still Heavily Favored to Beat Saints Despite Ed Oliver, Matt Milano Injuries
GettyThe Bills have ruled Ed Oliver and Matt Milano out for their Week 4 clash with the Saints
Being without Oliver and Milano will certainly hurt the Bills on defense, but against the Saints, it ultimately shouldn’t matter. While New Orleans put up a fight against the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers in Weeks 1 and 2, they ended up getting destroyed by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, meaning they likely won’t fare much better against a high-powered Buffalo squad.
There’s no such thing as an easy win in the NFL, though, so Deone Walker and Shaq Thompson will be tasked with stepping up and filling in for Oliver and Milano in their absence. So far, both Walker and Thompson have held their own, but it’s clear Buffalo’s defense is at its best when Oliver and Milano are on the field. Kickoff for the Bills’ Week 4 action is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, and if all goes according to plan, Buffalo will walk off the field with a 4-0 record.
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