The Bills released a new injury report which means a new article! While I did expect new players to be on the injury report, thankfully it is not that extensive and overall, things look well leading up to the Dolphins game Sunday. Today’s post will outline the injuries and impact it has on for Sunday.
Starting off, those that did not practice include: OT Cordy Glenn (illness/foot/ankle), WR Andre Holmes (neck), DT Kyle Williams (groin). At this point in the season, Glenn has become a broken record in regards to his injury that does not seem to heal. I still believe it is a chronic issue which limits his availability and this should affect his off season whether he stays with the Bills or moves onto another team. As he is dealing with an illness which is most likely the flu, this will limit whether he will be ready to play.
Holmes was described as having some “neck stiffness” which is not surprising considering the hits that everyone took Sunday’s game. I don’t believe that it is anything more than general muscle soreness. Structurally, there should be no concern, but it may limit his ability to move his head effectively when running routes. Stretching and rest will be key for him to return to full function.
As for Williams, he is still dealing with a groin injury that he sustained last week again the Patriots. It does not appear to be anything more than a Grade 1 groin muscle strain. He was able to play through the Patriots and Colts game without any limitations. I expect this to be the same preparing for the Dolphins game. As we saw Sunday, Kyle Williams is far too tough to let a minor injury stop him from playing.
Those limited in practice are: WR Kelvin Benjamin (knee), TE Charles Clay (knee), T Seantrel Henderson (back), RB LeSean McCoy (knee), and QB Nathan Peterman (concussion). Starting off with Benjamin, he did re-injure his knee during Sunday but upon video review, he did not suffer any mechanism of injury when he had to leave the game. It appears that he fell hard on his knee, similar to the Taylor injury two weeks ago. Think about it, your knee hurts like no other when you fall on the snow and ice. This is what I believed happened to Benjamin and with his limited participation in practice, this is a good sign that he may be ready to play Sunday. It is also worth noting that he is still recovering from the meniscus tear even though he has been cleared to play.
Clay continues to deal with his knee injury that may be related to the chronic issue that has plagued him in season’s past; his abilities do not appear to be hampered. Henderson is still dealing with a back injury that he either sustained in the Patriots game or in practice; I believe he is dealing with a muscle strain that continues to limit him. Time will tell whether he plays Sunday.
McCoy had a fantastic day on Sunday despite the cold and snow and is dealing with a knee injury that may be more a veteran rest day than anything to truly be concerned with. Barring any new information, expect him to play without any restrictions come game time. Finally, Peterman is recovering from a concussion sustained late in the 3rd quarter and was unable to return. As he is able to return to practice in a limited fashion, this is an excellent sign as he is in either stage 3-4 of the protocol and may be available to play if he has no recurrence of symptoms.
Those that practiced in full: CB Leonard Johnson (knee), G John Miller (ankle), and QB Tyrod Taylor (knee). Johnson is still recovering from the helmet to knee hit sustained in the Patriots game and if the weather was not so poor during the Colts game, he may have played. Expect him to play as conditions will be improved. Miller is finally practicing again after missing the past several weeks with a possible high ankle sprain. At best, he may be active to provide depth at the guard position.
Finally, Taylor practiced in full with the knee injury that kept him out this past Sunday. Due to the snow, the team hedged their bets and rested him to ensure that he was not lost for the season. Due to the location of the contusion, it can continue to limit him, but with protective bracing and rest, he should be named the starter against the Dolphins which despite his shortcomings, I believe is the best shot to get the team a win.
The injury report will change over the next several days, but there should not be any reason that most of the players will be unable to play Sunday. Barring any setbacks, the team is going into their final home game with a real shot to go 8-6 and stay in the hunt towards clinching that ever elusive playoff spot.
Continue to check back for new articles and updates. For the latest information and game day thoughts, follow me on Twitter at @kyletrimble88. As always, thank you for reading and GO BILLS!!
