Buffalo could see a couple more pass catchers return for Sunday.
It’s been a wild week in western New York. The Buffalo Bills won their fifth division title, quarterback Josh Allen was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week, and speculation about him becoming the NFL’s 2024 MVP increased.
Micah Hyde returned to Orchard Park as a member of the Bills’ practice squad. Lost in all of the celebrations at One Bills Drive is the fact that the Bills are preparing for a football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night – and that the organization is keeping an eye on a small number of injuries.
With only one day of practice remaining before the Bills pack up and go west, let’s take a look at how injured players are faring.
Nothing changed in Buffalo between Day 1 and Day 2 of practice, but there was a glimpse into the type of limited practice the players were receiving.
Injured Bills trending toward playing
- TE Dalton Kincaid
- WR Keon Coleman
While he was still labeled as restricted in Thursday’s practice, Kincaid was not wearing the red non-contact jersey for the first time since his Week 11 injury. The fact that the Bills’ training staff isn’t concerned about Kincaid exacerbating the injury by avoiding opponents or clashing with other players speaks a lot about his recovery and the severity of the injury that has kept him sidelined.
Coleman is receiving passes (and leaping in snow mounds for ones he drops) at practice, along with the other receivers. The difference is that he is still wearing a red jersey.
However, when asked if he expected to play on Sunday, the rookie pass catcher replied “we’ll see” and that it would depend on whether his wrist “continued” to trend in the right direction. Hopefully, we’ll see him in a white jersey tomorrow afternoon and rated no lower than questionable before the Bills board their Saturday flight to Los Angeles.
Bills injuries still in question
- DT DeWayne Carter (wrist)
- OL Tylan Grable (groin)
- TE Quintin Morris (shoulder/groin)
- S Taylor Rapp (neck/shoulder)
- WR Curtis Samuel (foot)
We have heard absolutely nothing about this group of athletes and how they are dealing with their injuries. The top two players on the Bills’ daily injury report, who are still on IR, are labeled as full participants, while the other three are categorized as limited. When asked if he was ready to play this week, Carter replied that he would be ready anytime the Bills wanted to activate him.
If Kincaid and Coleman return to action, Morris and Samuel may be able to take a day off. In addition to Rapp, Buffalo has Cam Lewis and Cole Bishop who might benefit from some playing time before the playoffs.
And, yeah, they have Micah Hyde, but the veteran has only had one full day of practice since January, so don’t expect him to play.
Bills players trending toward not playing
None. Buffalo has everyone preparing for a shift. Tylan Grable is likely to remain on the Injured Reserve list for another week, as Buffalo would need to clear roster space for both him and Carter if they were activated. It’s possible that any of the players named above will get a week off, but with everyone practicing, that’s more of a precaution than a necessity.
Bills players still on Injured Reserve (IR)
In addition to the two names mentioned above, Buffalo has two other players on injured reserve this season.
DE Duwuane Smoot (wrist) LB Baylon Spector (Calf)
They also have quarterback Shane Buechele, offensive lineman Travis Clayton, and Tommy Doyle on the Injured Reserve list. However, this trio is ineligible to return this season.
By Friday afternoon, we’ll know what designations each injured player will have for the weekend. At that point, we can delve deeper into how these injuries will affect Buffalo’s Week 14 matchup.
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