The Buffalo Bills won a thriller of a divisional matchup on Sunday defeating the Miami Dolphins 30-27 on a franchise-record 61-yard field goal to move them to 7-2. The close loss drops the Dolphins to 2-6 with their playoff hopes on life support in what was a season of high expectations.
Both teams came into the game with notable injuries on both sides of the ball and they left with even more injuries from the result of a physical game. The Bills appeared to have taken more of the brunt losing guys left and right as the game wore on. Fortunately, most of the players returned to the game but several left leaving the fan base with more questions than answers as they awaited updates throughout the day.
Below are all the in-game injuries along with updates and analysis following Monday’s press conference.
In-Game Injuries
CB Taron Johnson (Low Back)
Johnson put a scare into Bills fans when he was lying down after the play in clear discomfort as training staff tended to him. They were initially assessing his low back after he got folded and twisted to the left as the play unfolded.
He still managed to play in 95 percent of the defensive snaps, three less than the 61 total snaps on Sunday.
On Sunday following the game, he noted that he was kicked in the back which explains why he was in such pain but returned so quickly.
LB Dorian Williams (Head Check)
Williams was one of the first injuries of the day when he was taken out of the game for a head check following the fumble recovery. He likely had someone flag him due to how he hit or initially presented. After several minutes in the injury tent, he was able to be cleared to return and finished the game.
QB Josh Allen (Throwing Hand)
Allen never appeared to require attention from the medical staff on Sunday, but he did crouch down appearing to favor his right throwing hand briefly after an incompletion with 1:24 left in the second quarter. You can see how he rolled out of the pocket to his left and was taken down by two Dolphins defenders.
He was favoring the hand after it appeared to either clip a Dolphins defender or hit the turf. Prior to this play, he was 11 for 13 but finished the game 14 for 26. Whether this had anything to do with it, it’s always worth highlighting when events like this happen on the field and the actions following the event.
CB Kaiir Elam (Left Shoulder Dislocation)
Elam suffered a left shoulder dislocation when he was covering Tyreek Hill with 5:18 left in the third quarter. Looking at the play below, his arm is abducted and externally rotated trying to chase Hill as they both fall out of bounds.
After the game, Elam stated that the shoulder had popped out of place and required the training staff to put it back in. He was able to return with a shoulder brace to finish the game. With Elam confirming that he suffered a shoulder dislocation, this likely means that he had capsular or labrum damage, leading to instability within the joint.
Labrum tears are something that many players play through each and every season. The fact that Elam was able to return after the shoulder was reduced is a good thing, but there is concern for future instability issues. With the capsule and or labrum potentially being torn, future hits to the area can dislodge the humeral head more easily and lead to repeated dislocations or subluxations which are partial dislocations.
Once an instability event occurs, there is a 40-55 percent chance of another instability event occurring again according to the literature. Elam will be able to play through this injury for the remainder of the season, he will very likely have another event where the shoulder moves on him funny and I fully expect him to be on the injury report for the foreseeable future. There is a good chance he will require off-season shoulder surgery especially if there are more instability events but this can wait until then unless the shoulder worsens.
DE Dawuane Smoot (Right Wrist)
This is the injury that worries me the most, watching the film back, Smoot makes direct contact with Durham Smythe’s upper arm with the wrist fully extended. You can see him lift the arm up immediately and turn around grabbing at the wrist while the play is finishing.
A fan noted during the game of the urgency that Smoot had with his wrist signifying the potential severity of the problem.
The obvious concern is for a fracture given how he struck Smythe’s arm with the butt of his hand. There was concern for a dislocation but that was ruled out when they stated he was scheduled for surgery, wrist dislocations are an emergency reduction.
Smoot will undergo surgery to repair a likely fracture and will be placed on injured reserve.
Data on wrist fractures in professional athletes exist but is not as plentiful as other injuries. Smoot is looking at anywhere from a 6-9 week timeframe to return to play. It’s possible he suffered a Colles fracture as seen below which is when the distal radius is broken due to a fall on an outstretched hand, in this case, the butt of his hand hitting Smythe’s arm.
Smoot will undergo surgery this week and based on the 6-9 week timeline, he is looking at a timeline to return to the best case scenario against the Detroit Lions in Week 15 or Week 17-18 against the New York Jets or New England Patriots. I would take the latter dates based on the needs to block and tackle.
Playoffs could be in play too, it’ll all depend how his rehab goes and when they open his practice window. As more information is known, updates will be provided.
DE Casey Toohill (Left Knee)
Toohill was briefly down in pain at the beginning of the fourth quarter when his left foot slipped on the turf and stressed his left knee. He rolled onto his back and grabbed his left knee in clear discomfort before walking off under his own power.
After being deemed questionable, Toohill missed three plays, returned to the kickoff unit, and finished the game. By the looks of it, he suffered a mild MCL sprain which can be braced up and played through but he may be limited to special teams snaps to avoid pivoting off the left knee trying to bend the edge on defense.
WR Keon Coleman (Right Wrist)
Coleman took a brutal hit late in the game from former Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer which ultimately set the Bills up to kick the game-winning field goal. Regrettably, Coleman suffered a right wrist injury in the collision with Poyer leading him to go immediately to the sidelines.
He was escorted off with two athletic trainers with his hand covered by a towel for further examination. After the game, he was seen in a soft brace as noted below. He likely underwent X-rays that did not show a fracture which led to Tuesday’s tweet from Diane Russini that Coleman was undergoing further testing.
On Monday, Sean McDermott stated that further evaluation is being done on his hand and wrist. This appears to suggest that an outright fracture or major injury did not occur. They are likely looking at imaging from either a CT scan for smaller fractures or an MRI of soft tissue damage such as a ligament.
I don’t have a good read on the specifics of the injury, but it sounds like he avoided a displaced fracture. This still could be a Taron Johnson situation where there is a hairline fracture or other damage, but we simply need more information.
Other Observations
S Taylor Rapp/DE Javon Solomon (Shoulder Braces)
It’s not clear what their respective issues were that they needed to wear the shoulder braces on their right arms, but worth highlighting should they be on the injury report on Sunday.
WR Amari Cooper (Left Wrist)/CB Christian Benford (Right Wrist)
I had expected both to play after appearing on the injury report with their respective injuries on Wednesday. Both were 50/50 in terms of playing with Benford potentially being the player that had a setback during the week in the referenced tweet below.
The bigger surprise was that Cooper had missed. Before Sunday’s absence, he had only missed four games in his career and was known for playing through various injuries. Both had a week to rest and get ready for Indianapolis.
It’s also worth noting that Benford, Cooper, and Reggie Gilliam are considered day-to-day.
Overall, it was a competitive game with a thrilling finish against a hated divisional rival. Many of the injuries are things guys will battle through but some still require missed time. Make sure to check back often for updates as we get them for adjusted timelines and further analysis.
Top Photo Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
