The Bills continue their homestand hosting the 3-4 Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. They are looking to defend their 2 game winning streak to move to 6-1 for their best start since 1993. While the Super Bowl is always the ultimate goal, this team continues to work towards sustained success in taking each game week by week. Following a 37-10 beating by the Cowboys on Sunday night football. Despite injuries on their side, they still come in hungry & on a mission. Fortunately, the Bills appear to be in better shape both talent & injury-wise. Below are the latest injuries prior to Sunday’s game.
QUESTIONABLE:
CB Kurt Coleman- hamstring
Coleman suffered a hamstring injury late in the 2nd quarter on Sunday on a punt play in where he was the gunner, running downfield towards the return man before pulling up lame with a hamstring injury which knocked him out of the game. This past week, he was unable to practice with the exception of Friday in which he was limited. This is not a surprise considering the conservative nature that the team takes with hamstrings. While he is questionable for Sunday, he is not expected to play until Week 10 when the Bills play the Browns.
CB Kevin Johnson- neck stinger
Johnson suffered what was initially described as a head injury on a tackle to Dolphins WR DaVante Parker in where his head got twisted around and got landed on by Parker & LB Tremaine Edmunds. He suffered a stinger due to the abrupt compression to the neck area which limited him Wednesday-Friday. These types of injuries usually need rest & work back into regular activity which appears to be the case. He has a good shot chance to play Sunday, but may sit if he doesn’t feel he’s ready.
LB Matt Milano- left hamstring
The big question for the team going into Sunday is the health of Milano. His absence was noticeable in the win over the Dolphins with the offense moving the ball effectively at times. This is concerning as the Eagles offense has far more firepower than Miami brought. So far, Milano has had two weeks to fully rest and referencing reports, “maximizing his treatments”. He has looked good on film available on practice moving in a variety of directions & without obvious compensation.
As to whether Milano plays Sunday, the jury is still out. He may feel he’s not ready, he may not be able to hit his top-end speed as he wants, or the weather may impact his decision. I am leaning towards him playing Sunday if the weather is perfect, but it will truly be up to Milano.
LB Corey Thompson- ankle surgery
Thompson continues to work back from ankle surgery with the exact details not known. However, he has continued to practice on a limited basis & has moved well on film. I believe at this point he is getting back into game shape. Whether he is ready this week or next will be up to him. However, I believe that either Milano or Thompson will play, both certainly can but I don’t think both will miss, especially with how thin they are at linebacker.
WR Duke Williams- right shoulder
Williams suffered a right shoulder injury after catching a pass towards the sidelines. He landed hard on the right shoulder & missed most of the game afterward, returning in a red zone package towards the end. He later had x-rays and has been limited in practice all week. At worst, he has a mild AC joint sprain, at best, he has a contusion which is more pain limiting.
Video has been limited, but he has been able to catch balls without any apparent bracing or compensation. According to our friends at the Coldfront Report, Duke was on the other day & indicated that his shoulder was doing fine; straight from the horse’s mouth. However, he has been wearing a red non-contact jersey indicating that they are trying to avoid re-injuring the area. Along with a pregame injection, this could potentially allow him to play Sunday.
EXPECTED TO PLAY
OG Quinton Spain- foot
Spain came up on the injury report with a foot injury and did not practice Wednesday. Looking at the film, there is not anything specific that led to his foot injury which may indicate that he had his foot stepped on that wasn’t available to see on film or tweaked the foot somehow. He did deal with an ankle contusion in the preseason which wouldn’t have any impact on his current complaints. He was able to practice in full Thursday & Friday which was very promising. I do not believe this is something that will affect his performance coming Sunday unless he goes down with another injury which could shed light on the original injury.
FB Patrick DiMarco- right ankle
The veteran fullback suffered what appears to be an ankle contusion late in the 4th quarter during a routine run play. DiMarco got caught from behind with a flurry of bodies landing on his ankle, dropping him to the turf. Thankfully, it appears his foot was pointed down and got hit more from the back than the side, forcing his body to go down rather than the ankle taking the brunt of the hit. There were concerns for a high ankle but considering that he was able to play in several more plays indicates that this may be more soreness than anything else leading to him not practicing Wednesday.
He was able to return to practice Thursday confirming the contusion & will play Sunday.
Possible Inactives:
S Kurt Coleman
OG Ike Boettger
OT Ryan Bates
LB Matt Milano
RB TJ Yeldon
TE Tommy Sweeney
WR Robert Foster
Overall, the Bills still come into the game far healthier than the Eagles. The Bills will have the upper hand if Milano & Williams are available. Getting Thompson back will also be a key depth piece in order to contain the explosive Eagles offense. The weather is forecasted to be damp and cool which may have an effect on whether they suit up. This is a game that both teams match up well & the Bills could come out with a win if they have a strong start. We can only hope that the Bills control the tempo and move to 6-1.
Top Photo Credit:
Buffalonews.com
