The Buffalo Bills have been waiting for close to a month to see Ed Oliver return after a career-best effort against the Baltimore Ravens, and they may need to wait at least one week longer to see his return.
Oliver has been out since just after Week 1, when he was stepped on during practice and sustained an ankle injury. The Bills opted not to place Oliver on injured reserve, raising hopes that he would be out for fewer than the four-week mandatory time lost that comes with IR, but the team shared what could be a dire sign before Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.
Bills Bringing Up Help at Ed Oliver’s Position
The Bills announced on Saturday that they are calling up two defensive tackles from the practice squad, Zion Logue and Phidarian Mathis. As reporter Matt Bove noted in a post on X, this is the final time the team can elevate Logue before signing him to the active roster, which could be a bad sign for Oliver’s availability on Sunday.
“Calling up two DTs, including Logue (his final elevation) tells me Oliver and/or Sanders may miss tomorrowâs game,” Bove wrote.
The bad sign came a day after Bills head coach Sean McDermott had shared some optimism regarding both Oliver and linebacker Matt Milano.
âTheyâve looked good,â McDermott told reporters on Friday. âExtremely competitive, they go out to practice every day, and they work hard. Itâs good to have both of them out there practicing again for sure.â
Oliver was a force in the team’s comeback win over the Ravens in the season opener. He had six total tackles including three tackles for a loss, a sack, and a forced fumble against running back Derrick Henry that played a key role in the team’s 15-point comeback with less than five minutes remaining.
Oliver is officially listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, with the team expected to make a decision as kickoff nears in the evening.
Bills Dealing With More Injuries
The Bills may have mixed signals on Milano as well, as they placed rookie cornerback Dorian Strong on injured reserve and used the open roster spot to sign linebacker Jimmy Ciarlo from the practice squad. Ciarlo was a standout in the preseason, joining the team late but earning his way onto the practice squad with some strong performances.
The Bills will have just one boundary cornerback healthy against the Patriots, Bove noted — Ja’Marcus Ingram. The team can also call on Brandon Codrington to play cornerback, but he has mainly been used as a return specialist and was a healthy scratch in last week’s win over the New Orleans Saints as the team looked to other options in the return game.
The team could use both Milano and Oliver back as soon as possible as they have struggled to contain opposing rushing attacks. The Bills rank No. 31 in the league, giving up 658 total yards through the first four weeks. Opposing teams are averaging 6.0 yards per rush against the Bills.
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