The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins square off again for their second matchup of the season. The Bills took the first contest 31-10 in a game that was expected to be far closer than it ended up being. The Dolphins lost Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion that game and began a downward spiral to 2-5 along with several other injuries including Jaelan Phillips and Braxton Berrios.
The Bills on the other hand have gone to 6-2 and have a commanding lead in the division despite suffering several injuries to key defensive contributors. Those defenders have since returned and continue to improve their health leading to solid play at every level and on both sides of the ball.
Both teams have several injuries coming into the game and could have a significant impact on the final outcome of the game. Read below for the full injury report for both teams along with projected inactives and final thoughts.
Buffalo Bills Injury Report
OUT
FB Reggie Gilliam (Hip)
Gilliam was ruled out Friday morning after downgrading his practice status on Thursday to not practicing. Sean McDermott noted that Gilliam injured the hip in practice which means we are left guessing as to the severity and exact nature of the injury.
QUESTIONABLE
WR Amari Cooper (Left Wrist)
Cooper has been limited all this week with a heavily taped wrist as noted above and potentially when he suffered the injury. He has been able to catch everything thrown to him so far but has not done much else with it. The big issue will be if he needs to block as a receiver and if he can brace himself if he falls.
His injury history suggests that he will try to play through the injury.
WR Curtis Samuel (Right Pectoral)
Samuel missed last week’s game with a right pectoral injury suffered on his second offensive snap against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. The mechanism for a pectoral strain really wasn’t clear but the injury was significant enough that he was unable to block and catch balls effectively. He stayed back last week to get more rehab in and was limited this week.
I don’t expect that he plays given the lack of production he has this year and taking another week to heal can only help him.
CB Christian Benford (Wrist)
Benford appeared in 94 percent of the snaps on Sunday and did not require any medical attention at the time which makes his presence on the injury report curious. He was able to practice in full on Wednesday before being downgraded to limited on Thursday and Friday.
This one is hard to read to determine if he suits up, but he is a veteran at this point and given what we see as a possibility for injuries, he may be able to play. I expect he tries to play based on the information we know.
ACTIVE
LB Terrel Bernard (Right Ankle/Left Pectoral)
After missing all last week and the game due to a personal matter along with the injuries, Bernard returned to practice Wednesday with a taped up right ankle.
He was moving quite well around during individual drills suggesting that this was more of a low ankle sprain. With the week off and nature of the injury, he looks to be on track to play Sunday. One additional note is that he was practicing without his shoulder harness after suffering the injury in Week 2.
QB Josh Allen (Left Hand)
Allen continues to require treatment on his left hand dating back to Week 1 when his right elbow landed on his left hand. He has worn a glove for protection since then but has ditched it for practices.
OL Spencer Brown (Wrist)
Brown appeared on the injury report with a wrist injury and was able to practice in full all week. He played in 100 percent of snaps last week which suggests this may be more of a maintenance issue.
KR Brandon Codrington (Hip/Right Knee)
Codrington appeared on the injury report this week with a hip injury that he appeared to suffer early in the game based on the video below.
Looking at how he hit, this may be more of a contusion to the area but the bigger concern was when he went down in practice on Thursday after colliding with Ray Davis.
He was able to practice in full on Thursday despite the assessment. They may have been assessing the meniscus if he slipped or if he had collided, did he sublux the patella and they needed to determine how the knee was moving? That part isn’t clear.
Fortunately, he does not have a designation heading into Sunday’s contest but will be one to watch knowing he has multiple smaller injuries to work through. We may see others such as Ray Davis or Ty Johnson get some work in to limit Codrington.
S Damar Hamlin (Ankle)
Hamlin is still working through an ankle injury originally sustained in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans. He appeared in every snap last week against Seattle and has not appeared to be limited.
WR Mack Hollins (Left Shoulder)
Hollins is still working through a shoulder injury originally suffered against the Houston Texans in Week 5. It’s not clear the exact injury but considering he has worn the non-contact jersey during the week, it’s possible he is working through an AC joint sprain, requiring an injection to manage any pain on game day.
CB Taron Johnson (Right Forearm)
Johnson continues to require treatment on his right forearm fracture dating back to Week 1 and causing him to miss the following four games. He was able to return in Week 6 against the New York Jets without any restrictions other than wearing extra padding on the forearm for protection.
DT DaQuan Jones (Foot)
Jones continues to work through a foot injury he originally suffered against the New York Jets. His snap count largely hasn’t been affected other than when Ed Oliver returned after his absence.
TE Dalton Kincaid (Right Collarbone/Left Knee)
Kincaid has been dealing with a right collarbone issue dating back to Week 6 when he had Jets DE Michael Clemons fall on his right shoulder. Given the timeline, this is suggesting more of a SC joint sprain with how Clemons would have pushed the clavicle back and up, stressing the SC joint.
He has not been wearing a shoulder harness and may require an injection prior to game time to manage any pain. Kincaid is also on the injury report this week with a knee injury. It’s not clear when he suffered the injury, but he was seen last week with tape on his left knee taped in such a way that suggests he may be dealing with some patellar tendinitis. Factoring in all the running and jumping he does, it would not surprise me to hear that he is dealing with this.
Neither injury would or should keep him out but both injuries are the result of a physical and long season.
TE Dawson Knox (Right Ankle)
Knox has been working through a right ankle injury dating back to Week 7 against the Titans. He continues to play his normal snap count with the ankle taped up indicating the injury is more of a maintenance issue rather than acute matter.
TE Quintin Morris (Right Shoulder/Hamstring)
Morris continues to require treatment for his right shoulder injury dating back to the Pittsburgh Steelers preseason game. He wears a harness every week and based on the timeline, it appears he has a labrum tear that will likely require surgery in the offseason.
He added a hamstring injury on Thursday though it did not limit his ability to participate in practice.
S Taylor Rapp (Left Foot)
Rapp finally appeared on the injury report this week with a left foot injury after the team was working on his foot last week during practice.
There is less tape this week and it is more around the midfoot potentially suggesting a sprain. I had thought last week that he was dealing with pain along the metatarsal heads but the tape is too far back on the foot to support that.
He appeared in every snap last week and while this injury may continue to require treatment, it isn’t appearing to affect his play.
DE Dewaune Smoot (Groin)
Smoot is still dealing with a groin injury suffered in the second quarter of the win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. He was limited in practice last week to not aggravate the healing tissue but played in his normal complement of snaps last Sunday.
LB Dorian Williams (Left Knee)
Williams was spotted wearing a hinged knee brace on his left knee after his leg was hit in a pile midway through the fourth quarter in Week 7. He appeared in only one more snap that game but returned to play in his second lowest snap count of the season last week. This may be a mild MCL sprain he is working through and should continue to improve as he rehabs.
Miami Dolphins Injury Report
OUT
DT Zach Sieler (Orbital Fracture)
Seiler had an unfortunate injury last Thursday when he was poked in the eye causing an orbital or blowout fracture. He was reported to be week-to-week without an established timeline.
Looking at the available research, there is an older article from 2001 that explains the injury and timeline given for return to play. The average missed time is 25 days but can be anywhere from 5 to 56 days according to the study participants. He was not placed on injured reserve and did not require surgery. I did not expect him to play this week as the bone continues to heal.
TE Julian Hill (Shoulder)
Hill has been ruled out after not practicing during the week due to a shoulder injury suffered on Sunday. He played in 32 percent of offensive snaps but it’s not clear the exact injury he suffered.
CB Kader Kohou (Neck)
Kohou missed last week’s game with a neck injury suffered in Week 7. He was unable to practice at all during the week after missing practice last week and will miss his second consecutive game.
DOUBTFUL
S Jevon Holland (Left Hand/Knee)
Holland has been working through a broken left hand dating back to Week 5 and missed the Week 7 game after the bye. He then suffered a knee injury but watching the film, it’s not clear how he injured the knee. Head coach Mike McDaniel hinted that Holland wasn’t trending in the right direction but the injury won’t require surgery.
QUESTIONABLE
FB Alec Ingold (Calf)
Ingold suffered a calf injury in practice on Wednesday, leaving him on Thursday. The team is cautiously optimistic that he can play but they may have to limit his snaps to avoid aggravating the injury.
CB Storm Duck (Ankle)
Duck missed last week’s game with an ankle injury that wasn’t clear what he did on film. After not practicing on Wednesday, he was upgraded to limited on Thursday and Friday and officially questionable.
ACTIVE
OT Terron Armstead (Knee)
Armstead reappears on the injury report this week with a knee issue and was unable to practice on Wednesday. He was upgraded to limited on Thursday and practiced in full on Friday. He has had a history of knee issues especially last year which makes me believe this is more of a maintenance issue.
WR Tyreek Hill (Foot)
Hill once again appeared on the injury report due to a foot injury after appearing on the report last week with the same issue. This appears to be more of a maintenance issue.
LB Emmanuel Ogbah (Right Bicep/Illness)
Ogbah has been playing through a bicep injury dating back to Week 5. It wasn’t clear what the exact injury was, but on Thursday, it was revealed that he had torn something in his bicep and was working through it. He missed the Week 7 contest with the injury after also having the bye to recover.
Based on the update and watching the film, he is wearing a shoulder harness on his right side, confirming that he suffered a proximal bicep tear. Knowing that there are two bicep heads that connect in the upper shoulder, he can tear one and still play. He may have some difficulty with overhead movements and some strength deficits in bending the elbow, but generally this is an injury that most players can play through.
LB Jordyn Brooks (Hamstring/Wrist)
Brooks is another new addition to the injury report with a hamstring and wrist injury limited Wednesday and Thursday but full on Friday.
DT Benito Jones (Knee)
Jones dealt with a knee injury in mid-August that kept him out for two weeks and was on the injury report in Week 1. He played in a season-high 67 percent of defensive snaps on Sunday but has no designation this week after being limited Wednesday and Thursday.
LB Tyus Bowser (Knee)
Bowser is back on the injury report with a knee after originally appearing on the report back in Week 5 shortly after signing with the Dolphins. He practiced in full and has no designation.
OL Robert Jones (Knee)
Jones is a new player on the injury report this week and appeared in 100 percent of snaps, practicing in full all week.
TE Jonnu Smith (Finger)
Smith is a new addition to the injury report this week with a finger after playing in a season high 66 percent of snaps. He was able to practice in full and has no designation heading into Sunday.
INJURED RESERVE
WR River Cracraft (Shoulder)
Cracraft opened his practice window this week as he works back from a shoulder injury sustained in the second preseason game. He was placed on injured reserve with designation to return ahead of roster cut downs. He will need to be activated to the roster in order to play Sunday.
At this time, the team believes he needs another week.
Buffalo Bills Projected Inactives
FB Reggie Gilliam
WR Curtis Samuel
LB Edefuan Ulofoshio
S Mike Edwards
OL Will Clapp
Call up: WR KJ Hamler
Miami Dolphins Projected Inactives
DT Zach Sieler
TE Julian Hill
CB Kader Kohou
S Jevon Holland
OL Andrew Meyer
RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
LB Channing Tindall
Call ups: CB Nik Needham, S Jason Colbert
Final Thoughts
The Buffalo Bills are the healthier and more talented team on paper at this point. However, the Miami Dolphins are a desperate team with plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. They need this win to get back in the divisional race and playoff hunt. If the Dolphins can create turnovers and turn those into points, they can keep the game far closer than it initially appears to be at this point. Even with the Bills favored at -6 according to DraftKings, the Dolphins could cover the spread and even win if they can force the Bills offense to stall out like it did against the Ravens and Texans.
Should the Bills win, they will move to 7-2 and extend their already commanding lead on the division at the halfway point in the season. However, none of this matters unless the Bills can capitalize on the home playoff games and secure playoff wins.
Bills vs Dolphins should be an exciting game especially if Miami can keep the score close. The injuries may tip the odds in the Bills favor, but anything can happen. The Bills are a good team and should win this game, but losing focus or new injuries could allow the Dolphins to steal this one.
Top Photo Credit: Craig Melvin/Buffalo Bills
