A win is a win any way you look at it, no matter how ugly it may be. The Buffalo Bills escaped the New York Giants 14-9 on Sunday Night Football behind the efforts of touchdowns from Deonte Harty and Quintin Morris.
Somehow, the Bills survived a late drive by Tyrod Taylor and the Giants with a key pass breakup in the end zone from Taron Johnson. While the Bills came away with the win to move to 4-2, they did suffer several injuries that will have varying levels of impact heading into Week 7 against the Patriots.
Below are the injuries from Sunday’s win and observations.
In-game Injuries
CB Cam Lewis (Stinger)
Lewis left the game after three special teams snaps for what the team termed as a “stinger.”
In the play below, you can see Lewis tackle his assignment on the first special teams snap of the game. As he came down, his head snapped back when the body hit the ground.
He stayed in for two more plays before exiting for the night. While stingers are usually temporary, this may be something to watch moving forward if they continue to happen suggesting a nerve or disc issue.
He is currently day-to-day following his injury.
QB Josh Allen (Concussion Check/Right Shoulder)
Allen had to briefly leave the game with 5:03 left in the second quarter due to a concussion check on the play below
After missing two plays in the blue medical tent, he came back to continue to play.
However, the play prior saw Allen’s right shoulder drilled into the turf courtesy of DT Dexter Lawrence. You can see him briefly grab at the shoulder in the first clip and then thrash his feet in the air for a second from another ankle.
Allen stayed in the game but he can be seen working his right shoulder out in clear discomfort. After the game, Allen went into the locker room for X-rays and then back into the locker room before heading out to the press conference. You can see the kinesiotape below outlined under his shirt and poking out to provide support to the area.
On Monday, it was reported that Allen was sore but no discussion as to his availability for Sunday was clarified. The hope is that he suffered a Grade 1 or even a Grade 2 sprain that he can play through. Quarterbacks do miss the most time due to AC joint sprains at 17.3 days, but I fully expect Josh Allen to suit up and play on Sunday with an injection to manage the pain in the area.
However, I am concerned about his accuracy and performance moving forward. He suffered the same injury in 2020 to his non-throwing arm and saw his completion percentage drop to 63 percent followed by 51 percent while throwing four touchdowns and three interceptions the following two games while he wore a shoulder brace. He also saw his QB Rating drop down into the mid-70s and showed some inconsistency over the next month.
If he played through his elbow injury last year, there is minimal concern for his availability come Sunday. The team may have the adjust their game plan to focus more on the run to give Allen’s shoulder a break.
RB Damien Harris (Neck/Concussion)
Harris had to leave the game late in the second quarter due to a neck injury that rendered him unable to move after running into the back of the pile.
Due to the potentially dangerous mechanism of how he hit the pile or paresthesia, an ambulance came out as a precaution to take him to the hospital for further evaluation per the Canadian C-Spine rules. The concern for his injury is a spinal cord contusion.
On Monday, reports indicated that Harris was released from the hospital with all movement and feeling in his extremities. He was also placed in the concussion protocol.
We will have to see how Harris progresses through the protocol next week. This is his third documented concussion with one from college in 2018 and one with the Patriots in 2021. It’s also worth highlighting that he was on the injury report last week with a neck designation but it’s not clear if these two events were related.
As to when he returns to play, that may vary. He does need to pass through concussion protocol which could take a week or more. He also needs to have four things completed to return to play which are: 1) To be neurologically intact 2) Pain-free 3) Asymptomatic 4) Full strength and range of motion available. It’s unknown if there are any associated disc injuries with Harris’s injury or possible cervical stenosis which is narrowing in the spine around the nerve root or cord itself.
Fellow teammate Dane Jackson suffered a similar injury last year with a trip to the hospital and ultimately missed one week. This will be a wait-and-see approach for Harris for a timeline to return but hopefully, he will do so shortly.
OT Spencer Brown (Right Knee)
Spencer Brown got knocked down twice as a fight broke out in the end zone late in the third quarter as seen below.
Brown briefly had to leave the game following the second fall for a brief assessment by training staff. He was later seen on the sidelines getting a hinged brace placed on his right knee before later returning to the game.
He likely suffered an MCL sprain when he stuttered and stepped backward as he fell. He may be limited during the week with a small possibility that he will miss next week but I do not anticipate that he will miss extended time as he returned to the game with a knee brace.
TE Quintin Morris (Right ankle)
On Monday, Quintin Morris revealed that he suffered an ankle sprain that he suffered several plays prior to his game-winning touchdown.
By video, there is concern for a right high-ankle sprain based on how he got pushed down to the right side. It appears as though his ankle was pinned down underneath his own body weight.
He was able to play in four more snaps before having to leave the field without an injury designation. I would expect him to potentially miss at least the next two games as he recovers from this ankle injury.
Other Observations
TE Dalton Kincaid (Concussion)
Kincaid surprisingly did not pass concussion protocol on Sunday after trending in the right direction all week. As of Monday, he was still in protocol but will hopefully progress through to be cleared by next week.
With the potential loss of Quintin Morris, Kincaid will be able to jump right back into the offense.
DE Greg Rousseau (Right Foot)
From the snaps that I paid attention to Greg Rousseau, he only appeared to line up over the right tackle and generate power off his left foot. This right foot injury appears to be lingering and may continue to impact his ability to rush the passer and run in open space. Hopefully, he continues to heal and rebound from this latest injury.
TE Dawson Knox (Right Wrist)
Knox also surprisingly played Sunday due to a wrist sprain suffered the prior week against the Jaguars. I suspect he had to play only because Kincaid was ruled inactive. He had the right wrist taped up and saw a season-high six targets for three receptions for 17 yards.
I also expect his wrist injury to linger on the injury report for several weeks if there is a ligament or even bone damage from the original hit.
RB Leonard Fournette
The Buffalo Bills are bringing in Leonard Fournette for a visit on Tuesday with the possibility that he signs, though it’s not clear if this is to the active roster or practice squad. He has a notable injury history including multiple ankle sprains. A further analysis will be completed should he sign.
Final Thoughts
The game was super ugly but the Bills managed to pull out a W and remain among one of the AFC’s elite. Despite playing the New England Patriots next week, that game will not be a cakewalk due to how Bill Belichick can scheme a defense.
The Bills should go in and take care of business against a beaten-down opponent and earn another divisional win.
Top Photo Credit: Getty Images
