How bout dem Bills!! McDermott & crew landed in Dallas with questions about how good they were despite their 8-3 record. They leave Dallas with a 9-3 record after having shown 32 million people why they should be taken seriously. Outside of that opening Dallas drive that ended with a score, Buffalo then took control & never looked back, walking away with a 26-15 victory. On top of that, the Bills didn’t even suffer any notable injuries compared to the Cowboys coming into the game beat up & left even worse with Connor Williams going down with a torn ACL & Amari Cooper getting knocked out with a knee injury. Despite there being no significant injuries for the Bills, there are still several players to review as the final stretch of the season ramps up.
S Micah Hyde (left leg)
Hyde sent a scare into Bills fans early on when he was tended to by trainers late in the 1st quarter. On replay with :38 left, it appeared that he got kicked or had his lower leg hit as he attempted to complete the tackle during the play. He was attended to by the trainers, slightly favoring the left leg as he walked off. He was briefly getting replaced by S Kurt Coleman for 1 play before returning for the rest of the game. Considering he returned so quickly, I don’t anticipate this being a concern moving forward, especially with the extra few days to recover.
WR Robert Foster (right hamstring)
Foster was a surprise activation for Thursday’s game despite dealing with a right hamstring injury sustained in the win over the Broncos. He was questionable going into the game but managed to suit up & be quite effective. The fact that he was active bucked the trend of the conservative approach that the team takes towards hamstrings. This doesn’t mean that the team is making poor decisions, it just shows that there are variables when managing these injuries.
Either he suffered cramping during Sunday’s game & was fine for Thursday or he really only sustained a mild strain that allowed him to play through. He was able to play in 42% of the offensive snaps with 2 targets for 1 reception for 20 yards & 43% snaps on special teams. Foster also drew a key defensive pass interference early in the 1st quarter which helped keep the drive alive but did not result in any points.
Regardless, Foster did his job & will have extra time to rest between now & December 8th when the Bills host the talented Baltimore Ravens.
C Mitch Morse (right 5th digit)
Morse didn’t appear fazed by his finger injury which led him to be questionable heading into Thursday’s matchup. He was able to play in 100% of the offensive snaps & seemed able to handle his duties as normal. I don’t anticipate that this injury will linger & with the extra time off, this should be a non-factor heading into Week 14.
OT Ty Nsekhe (right ankle)
Nsekhe missed his 2nd straight game with the sprained ankle sustained in the win over the Dolphins. While he wasn’t active as expected, Marcel Louis-Jacques reported that Nsekhe made the trip down to Dallas to support his teammates. The significance of this is that Nsekhe was observed walking, albeit, with a noticeable limp but without a boot on following the game.
This is promising to indicate that his swelling & pain appear to be improving, requiring less use of the walking boot. Considering he is still limping walking around, this means that he is still a ways off before returning. He will have to be walking pain-free & begin practicing on the sidelines before it is even considered that he returns to playing. I have not examined him but I don’t really see where he practices next week & misses the Baltimore game.
It’s possible that he resumes practice for the Steelers game with him going through the paces & at best ruled questionable. He could be active at that point but be used as an emergency backup if needed. A more realistic return may be in time for the Patriots game where he would be closer to 100% & be effective as a rotational player. He would have missed 4 weeks which isn’t unreasonable for an injury such as this. This timeline could obviously change as his practice status is updated, but this is what I believe will be a realistic approach in his recovery.
The Bills are 9-3, a win away from double-digit wins for the first time in 20 years. There are more than several ample opportunities to win with possible chances over Baltimore & New England with higher probabilities over Pittsburgh & New York. This is a fantastic feeling to have, I really don’t know what to do with myself! This could end in 5 weeks in the Wild Card round, this could end in the conference championship, hell, even the Super Bowl. Right now, I’m ready to believe anything. This kind of success has long eluded this fan base & it’s about time we finally got to enjoy something. I’m looking forward to this next month win, lose, or draw.
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