The 10-3 Buffalo Bills head across the lake to face the 12-1 Detroit Lions in a huge showdown as the game of the week on CBS at 4:25 pm. These are two of the best teams in the league right now with elite playmakers on each team. This matchup has the makings of a Super Bowl preview if both teams stay as hot as they have been.
The Bills are coming off a 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams while the Lions have won 11 straight with their last loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-16 back in Week 2. Both teams have high-powered offenses and normally suffocating defenses though the latter is false for the Bills, at least last week. The Lions and Bills have successfully navigated the regular season even after dealing with various injuries.
One additional note, the Detroit Lions replaced their slit-film turf after the 2022 season and replaced it with monofilament to reduce lower extremity injury risks. If you recall, the slit-film turf was the type that both Von Miller and Tre’Davious White suffered their respective ACL injuries.
Below are each team’s full injury reports, projected inactives, and final thoughts heading into the game.
Buffalo Bills Injury Report
OUT
CB Rasul Douglas (Knee)
Douglas is on the injury report officially for a knee injury suffered on the play where he got rocked by teammate Taylor Rapp as noted above.
However, he also appeared to suffer a knee injury on the same play when Cooper Kupp either lands on his left knee or when the right knee lands and pivots. He did extend the leg out in discomfort but was working out his left knee before he left. He could have suffered an MCL sprain in either instance. He did suffer a torn left MCL in Week 18 last season forcing him to play through the injury in the playoffs, limiting his effectiveness.
On Friday before practice, he was ruled out which is not surprising as he was unable to practice all week.
QUESTIONABLE
S Taylor Rapp (Neck/Left Shoulder)
Rapp was unable to participate in the Wednesday walk-through as he is still dealing with a neck injury dating back to Week 13. He suffered the injury when 49ers running back Jordan Mason hit his head and abruptly whipped his head to the left.
He was able to finish the game but was limited all last week with a neck issue, spending time in the red non-contact jersey. There did not appear to be any new instances of an aggravation to his neck, but he was unable to practice Wednesday and was a DNP on Thursday during the practice estimation.
Rapp does not have an extensive history of neck injuries so this appears to be more of an acute issue. He’s a true questionable and it may come down to how he feels. I feel like he guts it out one more week.
S Damar Hamlin (Back/Ribs)
Hamlin is the only new player dealing with injury this week. He played in 100 percent of snaps and several more on special teams. This makes determining what the exact issue is difficult. This may be more of a maintenance issue as he practiced in full all week.
However, it appeared as though he suffered some type of rib issue during walk-through or it cropped up as his designation was changed to back/ribs on Thursday. He was downgraded to a DNP on Thursday but returned to limited on Friday. He is officially questionable heading into the game but I expect that he plays considering the location of the injury and how they can manage it compared to a neck for Rapp.
TE Dalton Kincaid (Left Knee)
Kincaid was a full participant all week after missing three games due to what appeared to be a left PCL sprain suffered in Week 10 against the Indianapolis Colts. He was expected to miss the Kansas City game, and with the snow leading to poor footing for the 49ers game, he also missed that one.
I had expected him to return last week against the Los Angeles Rams, but the team elected to hold him out one more week. The injury was either more severe than what it was or the team is slow playing his return knowing the division is locked up. Either way, I expect that he will make his return after missing a month of action. I do expect him to wear a hinged brace to protect the knee for the next several weeks.
DE Casey Toohill (Ribs)
Toohill was limited all week after suffering a hit to his chest midway through the third quarter on Sunday. He quietly left and was later doubtful to return. Based on where he grabbed, he appeared to suffer a rib cartilage injury which explains why he was limited all week. This is a slow healing area which can’t be injected or protected to the point where a new hit doesn’t hurt him.
I don’t expect him to play while he allows the area to heal and he can be fully healthy for the playoffs. Fellow defensive end AJ Epenesa missed two games last year with a similar injury after intercepting Patrick Mahomes.
TE Quintin Morris (Right Shoulder/Groin)
Morris missed last week with a groin injury suffered in Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers. This came after he had just recovered from a hamstring injury dating back to Week 8. He did not miss any time for that injury but the combination between the hamstring and groin may have been too much to effectively run and cut and ruled him out for Week 14. However, I expect that he plays after a full week of practice.
ACTIVE
WR Keon Coleman (Right Wrist)
Coleman also returned to a full designation this week after he’s been out since suffering his right wrist injury late in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins. He stated on Wednesday that he was good to go for Sunday which is the first positive news we’ve gotten out of him in some time.
We still have not gotten any specifics on the exact injury, but hopefully, we get some details soon. He missed a total of four games and required five weeks which indicates there was likely some type of fracture as he has mentioned it being a bone issue in the past and that he needed to work on his range of motion.
Regardless of what the injury was, he does not have a designation heading into the game and will play Sunday.
LB Matt Milano (Left Biceps)
Milano continues to rehab from his left distal biceps tear, appearing in his second game of the season. His snap count also continues to escalate with him playing in 84 percent of defensive snaps this week, up from 77 percent last week. He has at times struggled not necessarily due to injury but rather getting his legs under him and processing things quickly to react. This should continue to improve as the season wears on which is likely the team’s thought process.
WR Curtis Samuel (Foot)
This is the second week in a row that Samuel is on the injury report for a foot designation with specifics unclear. This may still be a lingering injury back from Week 5 when he injured his foot against the Houston Texans, but it’s not clear when he would have aggravated the foot in the 49ers game. He continues to practice in full and has continued to show how often injured he is all season as he is in his career.
DT DeWayne Carter (Right Wrist)
Carter continues to work his way back from a right wrist surgery to repair a ligament in his wrist originally injured in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans. Carter did not elaborate what the exact ligament was, but it’s possible that he suffered a scapholunate ligament tear which would have required pinning the wrist and allowing the ligaments begin to healing. Even after he returned last week, sidnfbh
WR Amari Cooper (Left Wrist)
Cooper still requires rehab for his left wrist injury dating back to Week 8. He has been forced to wear a cast on the area for games but he is beginning to perform more activities out in the community without it. He has still been highly effective despite playing games with a cast, but this may be injury that lingers. The thought is that this could be a triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tear which can be managed conservatively for now.
INJURED RESERVE
OT Tylan Grable (Groin)
Grable completed his last week of his 21-day practice window after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle injury dating back to Week 3. The team will need to make a decision whether to activate him to the roster or leave him on injured reserve for the season. My bet is that they activate him and cut another player like Will Clapp they can waive and bring back to the practice squad. Grable is fully healthy at this point so a return to form is not a concern at this time.
He is questionable but would need to be activated.
LB Baylon Spector (Calf)
Spector suffered a Grade 2 calf strain in practice prior to Week 10 against the Indianapolis Colts and was immediately placed on injured reserve. It hasn’t been confirmed but the assumption is that he is dealing with a right calf strain, the same side that he injured back in the preseason.
DE Dawaune Smoot (Right Wrist)
Smoot underwent surgery to repair what is assumed a fracture to his right distal radius after blocking Miami Dolphins TE Durham Smythe back in Week 9. His practice window was activated today and according to him, he feels he’s ready to play.
He says there is no pain but it’s a pain tolerance thing too. We have to see how he does blocking and hand-fighting to determine how close he is to returning, but I was expecting that he takes several more weeks to get fully healthy.
While he is questionable, I really don’t anticipate that he is ready after just two practices even after full practices this week.
Update:
Detroit Lions Injury Report
Note: Huge thanks to Dr. Jimmy Laio, contributor to Lions Wire over at USA Today for the Detroit Lions injury content.
OUT
LB Trevor Nowaske (Concussion)
Nowasake suffered a concussion sometime during Wednesday’s practice as he did not have a designation on Wednesday but wasn’t able to practice Thursday. Considering that it takes roughly a week for a player to even have a shot pass through the concussion protocol, this means that Nowaske will miss Sunday’s game.
ACTIVE
OT Taylor Decker (Right Knee)
Decker has missed the last two games after suffering a right knee MCL sprain and right high-ankle sprain against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12. He was able to return to practice in full this week indicating that he is on track to play Sunday.
DL Levi Onwuzurike (Hamstring)
Onwuzurike suffered a hamstring strain against the Chicago Bears in Week 13 and missed last week. Considering he suffered this injury over two weeks ago and was able to get in a limited practice this week, he appears on track to play.
DL Joshua Pascal (Knee)
Pascal suffered a right knee injury on Thanksgiving that forced him out of the Week 14 matchup against the Packers. By video, it appears as though he suffered an MCL sprain but was able to practice this week. I expect him to play with a hinged brace this Sunday.
DL DJ Reader (Left Shoulder)
Reader suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder playing against the Chicago Bears on Thanksgiving. He was able to play on the short week against the Green Bay Packers but appeared to have a setback with another potential subluxation event and was unable to practice on Wednesday.
DT Alim McNeil (Concussion)
McNeil suffered a concussion in the first quarter of the Thursday game against the Green Bay Packers. He initially took a hit to the head which jarred his helmet, prompting a concussion check. He initially cleared the check and finished out the first half.
Unfortunately, he was unable to return and diagnosed with a concussion. Symptoms may have worsened once he left the field which prompted his removal. When the Lions returned to practice on Wednesday, McNeil was a full participant, trending in the right direction to play on Sunday.
Buffalo Bills Projected Inactives
CB Rasul Douglas
OL Will Clapp
DT Quinton Jefferson
LB Edefuan Ulofoshio
WR Jalen Virgil
DE Casey Toohill
Call Up: DE Kameron Cline
Detroit Lions Projected Inactives
DT Brodric Martin
OL Giovanni Manu
OL Kayode Awosika
OL Colby Sorsdal
LB Trevor Nowaske
Final Thoughts
The Lions appear to be the healthier team coming into this game but they have 13 different defensive players on injured reserve of varying levels of severity. Some of the names including Aiden Hutchinson and Alex Anzalone are hugely important to the success of the team while others are depth options. It’s incredibly impressive that the Lions have been able to get to the record that they have despite all the injuries, much less an 11-game winning streak. Below are all the names that are currently on injured reserve with their respective injuries.
CB Ennis Rakestraw (Hamstring)
S Ifeatu Melifonwu (Left Finger)
LB Alex Anzalone (Left Forearm Fracture)
LB Jaylin Reeves-Maybin (Neck)
DE Aiden Hutchinson (Left? Tibia/Fibula Fracture)
LB Derrick Barnes (Pectoral)
DT David Bada (Achilles)
DE John Cominsky (Knee)
DE Nate Lynn (Shoulder)
Not Expected To Return This Season
DT Mekhi Wingo (Right Knee)
LB Malcolm Rodriguez (Right ACL)
DE Marcus Davenport (Left Triceps Tear)
DT Kyle Peko (Left Pectoral Tear)
Despite all the injuries, the Bills and Lions will likely be more of a chess match in fighting for field position and looking for opportunities to exploit weaknesses. I do worry about the Bills run defense like we have come to be concerned about with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, but they do allow the run more to limit the passing game. We can’t have a repeat of last week’s defensive performance and deal with a stronger rushing attack. The Bills will also have more offensive firepower with the likely return of Dalton Kincaid and expected return of Keon Coleman, but they need to spread the ball around if they look to keep the Lions defense on their toes.
This is still a very winnable game for the Bills as the Lions can’t continue winning in a week-to-week league like the NFL is. Unfortunately for the Bills, the Lions have zero breathing room with the 11-2 Minnesota Vikings nipping at their heels for the division. With a loss, that could screw up the Lions postseason plans, especially with the Vikings still on their schedule in Week 18.
This is shaping up to be a fantastic game and a dream Super Bowl matchup should both teams make it that far. I look forward to watching an exciting game on Sunday and hopefully no injuries.
Top Photo Credit: Buffalo Rumblings
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