The Buffalo Bills head out to New Jersey for their first AFC East division game of the season as they take on the New York Jets in Week 2. The Bills head into the contest at 1-0 after a thrilling 41-40 win over the Baltimore Ravens while the Jets are 0-1 after a close 34-32 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jets are also bringing a lot of new personnel to this game with a new coaching staff and several new pieces on offense including QB Justin Fields.
From the outside, this appears to be a mismatch as the Bills are a well-tuned machine that needs to grind through the regular season while the Jets are in their latest reset, hoping to find some consistency. Divisional games always appear to be closer in the final outcome due to the familiarity of the players on each team playing each other twice a year. Despite the new personnel for the Jets, much of their defense is the same and has given the Bills fits over the years.
One variable that can throw even the best team off their game is injuries. The Bills and Jets have their own respective injuries that have already altered their rosters in different ways with the Bills missing Tyler Bass, Tylan Grable, and Maxwell Hairston on IR while the Jets lost Alijah Vera-Tucker prior to Week 1.
Read below for a full analysis of each team’s injury report along with projected inactives and final thoughts for the Week 2 matchup.
BUFFALO BILLS INJURY REPORT
OUT
DT Ed Oliver (Left Ankle)
By far the most significant injury of the week, news came out on Thursday that Ed Oliver was spotted in a walking boot and knee scooter around the facility. Based on the body part, boot, and scooter, my initial concern was a high-ankle sprain.
On Friday, Sean McDermott went on WGR 550 and stated that Ed Oliver would be ruled out for Week 2 but could potentially play in Week 3. His injury was the result of getting stepped on during practice on Wednesday. It’s worth highlighting that this was a full padded practice, unusual for a Wednesday this early in the season.
Unfortunately, Adam Schefter came out moments after that and stated that this is a multiweek injury, putting some confusion into the timeline.
So all that is known is that this is a left ankle injury, it occurred on Wednesday, it was a padded practice, and that the injury is significant enough to need to reduce weight bearing temporarily with the use of a scooter and protected with a boot.
The injury also appears to have been initially minor as Oliver talked to the media after practice and nothing was made of the injury.
On Friday, he was seen walking in the fieldhouse without the scooter which was a promising development.
Keep in mind, this is designated as an ankle. The Bills have historically not misrepresented injuries on the report. The key thing is the body part affected. We have seen shoulder injuries as the result of neck issues due to radiating pain. We have seen Cole Beasley’s fibular fracture classified as a knee, and Jordan Poyer’s pneumothorax classified as ribs. So there is some play with the injury report, but they don’t stray far away from the body part affected.
Typically getting a foot stepped on suggests at least a midfoot sprain or Lisfranc sprain or even Jones fracture. But knowing its ankle, we can rule that out. This could be soft tissue damage from being on the ground and having a cleat from a 300 lb. player step on the area and swell up later.
This could be a high-ankle sprain if he was stepped on from the outside, rotated and knocked down as the foot was pinned. This could even be a medial ankle sprain if he was stepped on from the side and pushed to his right. Considering there is some play with the timeline depending on the sourcing, I am leaning more towards the soft tissue damage with the team protecting the obviously injured area. If it’s a high-ankle, he missed three games in 2022 after suffering the injury in Week 1 to his right ankle.
Finally, in addition to the injury, the fact that Ed Oliver is walking with his family at what appears to be Niagara Falls State Park on Goat Island on Friday. It’s possible he could have been on a scooter but it’s hard to steer one handed having taught many patients over the years how to use one. The fact that he appears to be walking based on how the video shifts side to side is promising as well. Anyone that has been to Goat Island knows how much walking you can do in that area.
We need more information as to the exact injury, but it appears that this is less severe than an injury that needs injured reserve, but nothing that he can play through right away. I’m not confident that he plays in the short turnaround in the Week 3 matchup against Miami but could return in Week 4. This is one that watching the injury report will be key.
QUESTIONABLE
CB Jordan Hancock (Shoulder)
Hancock was a later addition to the injury report on Thursday with a shoulder injury, turning in a limited practice during a walk-through. He originally dealt with a right shoulder injury during the Bears’ preseason game, and it was later revealed that this was due to a stinger that forced him to sit out of the Buccaneers game. He does have a history of stingers according to Nick Sabato of the Niagara-Gazette News.
This shoulder injury may be a continuation of the shoulder/stinger issue, which is somewhat concerning, as there is still inflammation in the area. Whether this pain is coming from the neck and he is having shoulder symptoms, or the brachial plexus, the group of nerves in the shoulder is aggravated, and neither is an ideal situation to effectively play. This is now a pattern, as I initially suggested as a possibility back on August 28. This won’t stop him from playing, but we may see him require additional medical attention during games or miss time during the week.
However, considering he was a late addition to the injury report and in a non-contact jersey Friday, I’m not anticipating that he plays.
CB Taron Johnson (Quad)
Johnson was a surprise addition to the injury report on Wednesday with a quadriceps designation. He appeared in 36 plays on Sunday, and after looking through the film several times, there are no clear instances of when he suffered his quad injury. The only notable outlier is that he only played in 12 snaps in the second half.
There were maybe three plays that saw the potential for injury, but another angle showed minimal contact, or the injury was so subtle that he didn’t react in real time to the pain. This suggests that this was a contusion that needed a day off on Wednesday, rather than a deep contusion or strain that would keep a player out for longer.
This is further confirmed with The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia writing that he spoke with Johnson on Thursday. Johnson states that the injury began hurting on Tuesday and that he doesn’t know how he injured the area. He did not have anything on his legs on Friday and he told Joe that he was not going to miss Sunday.
LB Shaq Thompson (Right Hamstring/Hand)
Thompson appeared on the injury report this week with a hamstring and hand designation. Looking at the film, it’s not clear how he injured the hamstring, as he only appeared on special teams, and he did not come up lame after any play. He dealt with a right hamstring strain during the preseason, which may have been sore on Wednesday when he returned to practice.
He also appeared to suffer a hand injury during the game, though it is not clear when he suffered that injury. He did have one tackle in the second half, but the film does not show if the hand was injured then. I don’t believe a hand injury would keep Thompson out as a linebacker. He was able to get a limited practice during a walk-through on Thursday and Friday.
Given the previous hamstring injury, I would expect they sit Thompson and potentially elevate Jimmy Ciarlo for the special teams role.
CB Tre’Davious White (Groin)
White returned to practice this week after missing all of last week and was listed as doubtful before missing Week 1. He was still working back from his groin injury, originally sustained on August 21, that saw him leave practice early. He appears to be moving well throughout team drills and has no visual compensations as he flips his hips and moves through the drill.
After practice on Thursday, he was interviewed about how he felt about missing more time, providing an honest perspective regarding how he is managing his injury versus the previous injuries that have cost him so much time. He notes that he has to get his conditioning back up, which suggests the training staff had to really shut him down, allowing the area to heal with rehab and lower-level intensity work before returning him to play.
He appears on track to play and will offer effective depth should Dorian Strong struggle against his assignment. If he doesn’t play on Sunday, I’d expect him to play next Thursday.
ACTIVE
CB Brandon Codrington (Left Knee)
Codrington suffered a left knee injury while attempting to return a punt midway through the third quarter when he was hit low by a Ravens defender trying to catch a punt. The defender wrapped around his left leg, and when Codrington attempted to turn away, he got hit from above, and that sudden force tweaked his left knee.
He was able to return to the game with a hinged knee brace after getting assessed, but this appears to be a mild MCL sprain. He was limited on Wednesday before returning to a full practice on Thursday and Friday. He may be limited, but considering all he has to do is run straight and play in 10-15 plays a game, this will be easier than trying to play cornerback.
RB James Cook (Hamstring)
Cook was a notable addition to the injury report with a limited designation on Wednesday before returning to a full practice on Thursday. He did have to briefly go into the medical tent with 2:25 left in the first quarter, but he ran into the pile of bodies and went down, not a mechanism for injury for a hamstring.
He was able to return fairly quickly and continued to move well for the remainder of the game. The fact that he got a full practice in on Thursday and Friday suggests that the hamstring is more sore than outright injured, but if Cook leaves the game early on Sunday, this could be a cause. Due to the injury, we may see more Ray Davis and Ty Johnson eat into Cook’s snap count.
TE Dawson Knox (Hip)
Knox appeared in 56 percent of defensive snaps in Sunday’s win but appeared on the injury report due to a hip injury, limited on Wednesday and Thursday. Like Taron Johnson, I scoured the film, which yielded few results as to the exact injury. The only clue when this injury happened was when a member of the medical staff was wrapping up assessing something with 6:14 left in the third quarter, as seen below.
Without more information, it is difficult to identify what the exact injury is. Considering he was getting worked on during the game suggests soft tissue and getting stretched out for a hip flexor. He could be dealing with hip impingement, which is when the ball of the hip doesn’t evenly articulate with the socket and causes pinching in the area with certain hip movements, including flexion. Mobilization and strengthening would help, along with rest during the week.
A direct blow to the hip, suffering a hip pointer, could also be in play, which is why he would be limited during the week. However, we don’t see the exact mechanism for that in the film. Either way, he does not have a designation and will play Sunday.
DE Greg Rousseau (Right Knee)
Rousseau appeared on the injury report with a right knee injury after seeing a picture with a sleeve and tape on the knee.
Looking at the film, Rousseau took a direct shot to the knee when Derrick Henry tried to run him over during the first play of the third quarter, as seen below. He was limited over the next several plays, gingerly running or limping as the play finished. He did get worked on, according to a fan who observed training staff working on his knee briefly during the game.
The lack of a hinged brace and tape suggests that this is more of a contusion and Rousseau confirmed it in Joe Buscaglia’s article at The Athletic on Friday morning when he said he banged knees as noted above.
This is something that he will play through, but may require continued treatment.
CB Christian Benford (Groin)
Benford continues to require treatment for his groin injury, originally suffered on August 21. He played in every defensive snap on Sunday and did not appear hindered in any way. He was able to practice in full all week and has no designation, but this is something to monitor if he exits the game.
WR Keon Coleman (Groin)
Coleman is still receiving treatment for his groin soreness that dates back to training camp, as it was revealed last week when he initially appeared on the injury report. He played exceptionally well, securing eight receptions for 112 yards and one touchdown, leading all Bills receivers. This appears to be more of a maintenance issue at this point, with the hopes that he is off the injury report after Week 3 with the mini-bye.
INJURED RESERVE
K Tyler Bass (L Hip/Groin)
Bass was placed on injured reserve ahead of the final injury report on Friday in Week 1 and will be out at least the next three games. Based on the initial progression of time missed, his return to play, and then shutting him down again, he is still appearing to be dealing with a condition known as osteitis pubis. This is what I have said previously about the condition:
This is a condition where there is inflammation between your left and right pubic bones, which is known as the pubic symphysis, from overuse, causing microtrauma.
This is common in individuals using their hips, pelvis, and groin, which would be exactly what Bass has been doing. This is seen often in pregnancy but also in soccer, hockey, basketball, etc. Given his positional demands, kicking is a high stressor to this area. If this is what Bass is dealing with, he would be experiencing groin or lower abdominal pain or aching throb, pain in the inner thigh, tightness within the pelvis, swelling, or genital pain.
Most cases respond conservatively with therapy and modalities, along with the possibility of injections. In a study in elite athletes, they had 42 cases dealing with this condition and found 71.4 percent of cases had Stage I Osteitis Pubis; there are four stages with Stage I dealing with unilateral pain while Stage 2-4 have bilateral symptoms. Of those in the study with Stage I, most returned within three weeks. Knowing that they put him on injured reserve suggests that he did have a setback despite what Sean McDermott stated.
Despite physical therapy being the gold standard, there are other interventions available including injections and surgery. Looking at the injections, one study looking at kicking athletes used 12.5% dextrose and 0.5% lidocaine and performed monthly injections. Nearly 92 percent of subjects who underwent these injections returned to play within nine weeks of the first injection. However, most of these subjects had longer-lasting pain prior.
Injections
Corticosteroids are also an option, performing one to three injections using a combination of dexamethasone, betamethasone, or methylprednisolone with a local anesthetic such as bupivacaine and lidocaine.
Other studies showed less success with 20 mg of methyprednisolone acetate and 1 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine local anesthetic, helping only 31.2 percent of the subjects within two months but all were pain-free after six months. Finally, one final study showed that 58.6 percent returned to sport with the use of corticosteroids, but 20.7 percent were non-responders.
Surgery
Surgery is also an option, but nearly all of the procedures kept the subjects out for an extended timeframe, well past a reasonable timeframe for Bass to return. There was one study where five subjects had a polypropylene mesh placed in the preperitoneal retropubic space. This is the space behind the pubic symphysis and in front of the bladder and prostate. All subjects were able to return within one to two months.
I highlight all of this to try to provide a picture as to what could potentially be the next steps for Bass. My theory is that he did physical therapy for the three weeks he was off, he returned to play but struggled with continued soreness, shutting him down. Injections appear to be the next path forward and surgery at least considered, but not the primary intervention.
He could also have a core muscle injury which typically responds well to surgery, but we would need some clues or information to suggest that is the issue. A person can walk pretty quickly without crutches afterward so it’s possible this happened, but nothing confirmed.
I have not seen this clinically which is why I am having to rely on the research so much, but these are the considerations when it comes to interventions.
The Bills are not out on Bass yet, but they have to commit to Matt Prater for the immediate future.
NEW YORK JETS INJURY REPORT
OUT
RB Kene Nwagowu (Hamstring)
Nwagowu exited Sunday’s game after playing in three special teams snaps, with his final play occurring on a kickoff with 3:38 left in the first quarter. It’s not clear on film how he was injured, but he was on the returning team and back to receive the ball. He was unable to practice all week and was ruled out.
DL Jay Tufele (Illness)
Tufele was unable to practice all week and was ruled out.
WR Josh Reynolds (Hamstring)
Reynolds appeared on the Thursday injury report with a hamstring strain unable to practice that day and Friday, later ruled out.
QUESTIONABLE
CB Michael Carter II (Shoulder)
Carter showed up on the injury report with a shoulder injury and was limited on Wednesday and Thursday. He played in 66 percent of snaps, and this was only slightly less than what he saw last year. There aren’t other details and he is officially questionable despite getting a full practice in on Friday.
TE Mason Taylor (Ankle)
Taylor has been battling through a high-ankle sprain that dates back to at least August 5. It is not clear which side was originally injured, but head coach Aaron Glenn confirmed that this was the same side. This is an aggravation, and while this will limit him from a pain and production standpoint, the joint was already looser to begin with, which means he re-injured it, but the severity is less due to more play in the ankle. This is something he can continue to play through, but he may still not have the full ability to cut off the ankle as well as he should.
OL Chukwuma Okorafor (Hand)
Okorafor was on the injury report all last week with a hand designation, was questionable and active, but did not see any playing time. He continues to work through the hand injury and was a full participant on Thursday and Friday.
LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball (Calf)
McCrary-Ball suffered a calf injury at some point during Sunday’s loss but saw most of his playing time on special teams with 84 percent. He did see 20 percent of snaps on defense as well, the most of his career. Otherwise, he has been a primary special teams player.
CB Sauce Gardner (Groin)
Gardner is back on the injury report as a late addition on Thursday with a groin injury after appearing last week with a fibula designation. He was able to get out on Friday, get a full practice in, and does not have a designation for Sunday.
Projected Buffalo Bills Inactives
DT Ed Oliver
CB Jordan Hancock
DE Landon Jackson
WR Elijah Moore
OL Chase Lundt
C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger
LB Shaq Thompson
Call ups: DT Zion Logue, LB Jimmy Ciarlo
Projected New York Jets Inactives
RB Kene Nwangwu
DL Jay Tufele
WR Josh Reynolds
EDGE Braiden McGregor
TE Jelani Woods
Final Thoughts
This is a divisional game which means the score will probably be closer than Bills fans want and Jets fans hope for. The Bills appear to be the superior team due to talent and coaching, but the Jets have a solid defense that always seems to give the Bills fits.
Add in the fact that the Jets have a new coaching staff and the way they played last week against the Steelers, this could be a back and forth game.
I’m hoping for a good game with minimal injuries so the Bills can turn around and play Miami on a short week.
Top Photo Credit: Kara Durrette/Getty Images
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