WHAT. A. GAME.
I’m not sure there’s appropriate words in the English language that explain what happened Sunday. From a near meltdown to bad calls to final play heroics, this game had it all. Fortunately, the Bills ended Week 3 with a win to move to 3-0 as they prepare to face the Raiders at their new stadium. I could write an entire article on the emotions of the game. But you’re not here for that. Below, a recap of the injuries from Sunday.
WR John Brown (calf)
Brown’s day ended early following halftime with a calf injury. Reviewing the film, there isn’t anything particular that stood out regarding his calf. He didn’t appear to be limited with any of his routes or come up limping even at the very end.
I’m considering this injury as a wait and see, he could have hurt the calf, been fine and then halftime, everything tightened up. He could have hurt the calf and it just wasn’t on broadcast film and All-22, this could have also been a injury that isn’t spotted on film. He could also have had a previous strain that was not reported that worsened on Sunday.
I also want to note that the foot soreness that could be plantar fasciitis could have contributed to this. Some of the interventions to address the plantar fasciitis include stretching out the calf/Achilles to reduce stress on the fascia. But I question if it did contribute because I would tend to believe they were stretching out the area already.
HC Sean McDermott wouldn’t go into specifics with the injury nor would he say which side the calf injury was on and if it was the same side as the foot soreness. I don’t have any insight as to which side is which at the present time.
T Dion Dawkins (right shoulder)
Dawkins took a tumble prior to the 2 minute mark in the 4th quarter and was in obvious pain, requiring trainers to assess his shoulder. He tripped over CB Troy Hill, landing with his right arm extended to brace the fall. However, the heel of his wrist hit, followed by the elbow bending to break the fall and then hitting the shoulder on the ground.
He did try to come back in immediately after an assessment by the trainers which may indicate that it isn’t serious. I am concerned about the labrum or AC joint, but this could have been simply a contusion. Considering he tried to come back in suggests that it may not be serious because some of the other injuries would have required further evaluation or time away from the field.
S Micah Hyde (left ankle)
Hyde appeared to suffer a low ankle sprain early in the 4th quarter when he attempted to go in for a blitz and got blocked by the Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth. He attempted a spin move, turning to his left before going down in obvious pain but was able to walk to the sidelines under his own power.
He had his ankle taped up and returned to play shortly afterward. He did suffer the same injury back in Week 1 against the Jets and it appears he re-injured it. Overall, this isn’t a concerning injury and he can play through it, but I am worried about further instances with him missing time during the games if he tweaks it. Hopefully he can continue to tape it up and avoid re-injury to the area to allow it to heal properly.
LB Tremaine Edmunds (right shoulder)
Edmunds returned following a week off and clearly was not himself. He struggled to wrap up his tackle, he had difficulty engaging the blocks with his right arm, offensive players got by him on the right side and he just wasn’t himself. He exited the game on the final Rams TD when he hit directly on the shoulder by Rams RB Darrell Henderson.
He did have a shoulder harness on the right shoulder which usually indicates some type of shoulder instability. I’ve seen these used more for labral tears, similar to what we saw with CB Taron Johnson in 2018.
However, I still do not think he suffered a torn labrum. The mechanism simply isn’t there from Week 1. Either he injured the shoulder another time we didn’t see or this is something else. Based on how he fell in week 1, this is worse than a contusion. This could be a Grade 2-3 AC joint sprain. There is much more instability in the area due to the damage and he would have difficulty engaging the right side due to weakness from the clavicle not providing support with arm movement. These can take anywhere from 4-6 weeks for a Grade 2 and 6-12 for a Grade 3.
I understand I keep flip flopping on the possible injury, but the idea is that my opinion changes based on new information. If this is an AC joint sprain, the hope is that he can avoid further contact to the area and provide stability in order to allow things to fully heal.
Rarely do these require surgery and can be managed, but he will be limited in the short term. I wouldn’t be surprised if Edmunds wants to continue playing and avoid the IR. The team obviously knows more than we do and is managing this as best they can.
The coaching staff is aware of the pain & restrictions he has with his shoulder in playing through it during Monday’s press conference. Hopefully Sunday’s hit did not set him back more in his recovery process.
Injury Roundup:
DE Mario Addison was noted to have cramping that caused him to miss several snaps, but he was able to return shortly after getting fluids. It was a warm day with strenuous physical activity, it’s no surprise that he was dealing with cramping. There’s no concern moving forward, just a reality of playing football.
DT Ed Oliver looked good Sunday and was noted to be wearing the right knee brace mentioned in the previous article. He did not appear to be limited with the use and the injury appeared to be a non-factor.
CB Tre’Davious White & WR Cole Beasley both looked effective despite their respective injuries they were dealing with last week. They may continue to manage these complaints into practice this week, but it does not appear concerning at the moment.
LB Matt Milano & CB Taron Johnson both looked like they didn’t miss a step with their respective soft tissue injuries. Both are still at a higher risk to re-injure, but the hopes that they continue to get the proper rehab and rest in order to reduce those risks are ideal.
G Jon Feliciano, WR Isaiah Hodgins, & WR Josh Norman are all eligible to return from the IR list this week. I could see Feliciano & Norman return to practice but only Norman possibly getting activated after a week or two ramp up. Feliciano could wait longer and they could stretch this out longer than returning immediately.
They all do have a 21 day window to practice without taking up a roster spot before they need to return to IR or go active. I don’t see any need for Hodgins unless Brown misses extended time.
The big question marks moving forward will continue to be the health of Tremaine Edmunds & Dion Dawkins. We will see how this week’s practice goes, but these will be closely monitored. The Bills continue to avoid the season ending injuries, but this does not mean that they are immune. Hopefully these guys can return and continue to be effective.
Top Photo Credit: BillsWire
