The 6-2 Buffalo Bills head into Miami looking to build on the momentum from their season-defining 28-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday, with a chance to reclaim first place in the AFC East. But even with the Dolphins struggling at 2-7 and each of their last two losses by more than 20 points, the Bills cannot approach their Week 10 game as a walkover, in light of the latest injury announcement by coach Sean McDermott on Friday.
According to McDermott’s update, the Bills’ defense will be short two more players, on top of the injuries that have already piled up in recent weeks â and possibly more. The rash of injuries, especially those that happen in practice such as the injury to cornerback Christian Benford that has him listed a “questionable” for Sunday, appeared to baffle the ninth-year head coach.
âWe thoroughly vet it. If we knew exactly, it would get stopped in the medical department. But it goes beyond that department and scheduling, looking at everything that way,” McDermott said Friday, as quoted by reporter Matt Parino of Syracuse.com. “What do you do? Do you not practice?â
McDermott announced at the same time that two other defensive players are in the “questionable” category to the Dolphins game â and two more have been ruled out completely.
Bills Defense Mostly Solid â So Far
The Bills defense has put up a generally solid performance over the first eight games. Buffalo’s defensive unit ranks sixth in fewest points allowed with 167, and second in fewest passing yards allowed at 1,359.
Stopping the run has been a different story, with an NFL seventh-worst 1,131 yards allowed.
Over the past two weeks, however, the Bills have suffered two significant losses to their defense, both to players who were making their returns from multi-game absences.
Defensive tackle Ed Oliver, a seven-year veteran and crucial member of the Buffalo defensive line, has appeared in only three games due to, first, an ankle injury and then, in a Week 8 blowout of the Carolina Panthers, a torn bicep that required season-ending surgery.
Next, in last week’s win over the Chiefs at Highmark Stadium â in only his second game back from a six-game, performance-enhancing drug suspension â defensive end Michael Hoecht tore an Achilles tendon, an injury which ended his season as well.
2 More Defenders Ruled Out
On Friday, McDermott announced that six-year veteran edge rusher AJ Espensa will not play against the Dolphins on Sunday. The 2020 second-round draft pick out of Iowa sustained a concussion last week, though according a CBS Sports report it was unclear whether the concussion happened during the game against the Chiefs, or at some later time.
Epsensa did not do much in that game, recording no tackles or sacks despite playing 32 snaps, including nine on special teams.
McDermott also announced that 11th year linebacker Shaq Thompson, a Carolina Panthers first-round draft pick in 2015, will miss his second game in a row due to a lingering hamstring issue.
Dfensive lineman DaQuan Jones as well as cornerback Taron Johnson are considered questionable to play on Sunday, in addition to Benford.
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