The Buffalo Bills went into Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins in a shaky state, and injuries piled up throughout the game.
The good news for Buffalo is that many of the heat-related illnesses will subside, and in one Monday afternoon press conference, head coach Sean McDermott said that quarterback Josh Allen is feeling sore, but he’ll be moving forward just fine.
“He did a lot out there and got beaten,” McDermott said of Allen, who looked pretty exhausted by the end of Sunday’s game.
By the end of the game, Allen had an X-ray on hand but was quick to report the results were negative and McDermott seemed to imply it would not be a factor in moving forward.
The bad news for Buffalo is that they lost three more players, all on the offensive side of the ball this time.
Sean McDermott says Ryan Bates has a concussion, Tommy Doyle has a cruciate ligament tear and Jake Kumerow has a high ankle #Bills
— Maddy Glab (@MadGlab) September 26, 2022
Tommy Doyle is likely to be out for the rest of the season as McDermott said he suffered a cruciate ligament rupture. Although more information about the injury is needed, the realistic return time from an ACL is 8 to 9 months from the date of surgery. McDermott did not elaborate on Doyle’s injury or whether a date was set for the surgery.
Right starter Ryan Bates is on record with a concussion after leaving the game with a head injury in the second half. With a full week before the Bills take on the Baltimore Ravens, Bates could theoretically be a game decider, but it will depend on how quickly he progresses through the league’s concussion protocols — and the Bills will likely be working on a game plan that includes that not their starting right guard.
Without Bates, Greg Van Roten would be the next man but spent most of the first half of Buffalo’s week two game against the Tennessee Titans and the entire week three game in Miami replacing starting center Mitch Morse, who retired early on Injured elbow in the Bills’ home opener.
Good news for the Bills offensive line is that they will be bringing back backup guard Bobby Hart this week. Hart was serving a one-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct related to an altercation with a Titans player following the Bills’ 41-7 win in Week 2.
Buffalo spent much of last season shifting players on their offensive line, and they’ll likely spend this week determining who can slip into a variety of positions to offer Allen the best protection.
The third offensive player to arrive from Miami with a new injury was wide receiver Jake Kumerow, who McDermott said has a high ankle sprain. McDermott didn’t elaborate on the injury, but Gabe Davis missed the game against the Titans with an ankle injury, and Ed Oliver has missed the last two games with an ankle injury. With Davis back, it’s reasonable to think the team will take time getting Kumerow back into the lineup to ensure his ankle is fully healthy before he sees playtime.
The other new injury for the Bills is on the defensive end, which is already battered, and to make matters worse, it’s in the backfield where Buffalo are already missing all four starters.
Christian Benford left the game with a hand injury that we now know is a fracture.
“A couple of weeks,” McDermott said when asked how long the rookie cornerback is expected to be out. “He’ll have surgery tomorrow and then we’ll know more.”
As for all of the injuries Buffalo had on his pregame list, McDermott said they all happen every day except for Tre’Davious White and Micah Hyde, both of whom are currently on IR.
It means the Bills’ secondary could potentially see All-Pro Jordan Poyer back on the field soon, and that would no doubt give some lead to a unit that had to play three rookies and a sophomore alongside Jaquan Johnson on Sunday .
As for the many heat-related injuries Buffalo suffered in Miami, with some players leaving the game for the duration (Spencer Brown) and others getting fluids on the sidelines or in the locker room (Isaiah McKenzie and Stefon Diggs, among others). ), McDermott said the team will consider what they could have done differently.
“You’re trying the best you can with the resources that you have,” McDermott said of preparing for the Heat, while also saying they’ve played there in the Heat before, but this time there were extenuating circumstances. “You start hydration early, but we had a game on Monday night. We’ve had guys who had to do double duty because of the injuries we had.”
As for whether the team will be looking for some offensive linemen and/or defensive backs, McDermott said it’s too early to talk.
“We’ll know more tomorrow,” he said. “Obviously we lost a few more people for a couple of weeks but we need to see if we can bring someone back here before we look at it.”
What was considered possibly the most complete roster in the NFL before the start of the season is now riddled with holes, so we’re hoping the Bills will find a way to stem the blood loss and assemble a full team before heading to Baltimore for Sunday’s game with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.