That was not a good game.
The Buffalo Bills lost to the Atlanta Falcons 24-14 on Monday Night Football to drop to 4-2 on the season. They head into the bye but are also now tied with the New England Patriots in the AFC East division, technically in second due to the head-to-head matchup loss in Week 5.
The first half was horrendous with poor play, the inability to move the ball, and tons of injuries. It was about as bad of a half as you could expect and this was not Buffalo Bills football. They improved in the second half but it wasn’t enough and things still looked out of sorts. Every season the Bills go through a mid-season slump but they better find a way to get out of this coming out of the bye.
Read below for all the injuries coming out of the Week 6 loss.
In-Game Injuries
Make sure to check back after Tuesday’s press conference for the latest injury updates and video angles.
DT DaQuan Jones (Left Calf)
Jones was a post-inactive scratch after he injured his calf during pre-game warmups. Following the game, he was seen in a walking boot on the left leg, signifying the side.
This is a common management strategy for calf injuries regardless of severity. According to Sean McDermott, Jones popped his calf which is just another way of saying that he strained the muscle.
Looking at historical management of calf injuries, they have missed roughly one game and lingered on the injury report for two weeks. The hope is that Jones heals during the bye and doesn’t miss any further time.
This will be an injury that we need more information on to establish a true timeline moving forward.
Update: Jones is considered week-to-week which puts Week 8 in serious doubt. Hopefully the bye and the following week allow him to get healthy but his availability may be determined how quickly he can return to practice .
WR Joshua Palmer (Left Ankle)
Palmer was the victim of a hip-drop tackle when he was taken down with 14:06 left in the second quarter. Video clearly shows the ankle is forced into dorsiflexion and eversion which is the classic mechanism for a high-ankle sprain.
He was initially questionable to return before he was downgraded to out at the half. Having the bye this week does help immensely for Palmer to heal but I expect him to still miss some time. On average since 2017, Bills players have missed 2.28 games but receivers and tight ends have missed 1.75 games.
The bye does help but I’m not expecting him to play in Week 8 and Week 9 is certainly very much in the air until we see him get back out to practice. We will have to see how he responds to rehab and if this injury looks worse than it really is. Any return prior to Week 10 would be great but even if he does return then, he may still struggle to cut off that left side. This isn’t an injury that he should try to return from quickly.
Update: McDermott noted that Palmer is week-to-week which fits the timeline listed above.
C Connor McGovern (Left Knee)
McGovern briefly left with 12:54 left in the second quarter after he was hit in the left knee and went down. He was assessed in the medical tent briefly and was able to return to the game missing only one snap. He didn’t appear to get a brace placed on the knee or appear to be limited for the remainder of the game.
More of a hurt than injured situation.
QB Josh Allen (Left Hand)
Allen appeared to hit his left hand during a sack with 12:43 left in the second quarter. He appeared to land hard hitting the heel of his hand and even potentially got the hand hit when several bodies fell on him.
He was shaking out the hand after the sack and intermittently afterward. However, this was more of a hurt than injured situation. It’s worth highlighting that this was the same hand that he fractured in Week 1 last season.
Following the game, he was asked if he hurt his hand and denied that he was dealing with any injuries.
CB Christian Benford (Right Achilles)
Benford went down off-camera with :47 seconds left in the second quarter on a routine play before the medical staff came out to assess his right ankle.
At halftime, Benford was cleared to return following an Achilles injury. Whether the team thought he suffered a strain or even potential tear, they assessed the area and cleared him for return.
Tuesday morning, the All-22 film was released with the sideline view showing the only angle of the Benford injury. He’s at the bottom of the screen, stays with his assignment, goes to move back towards the line of scrimmage, takes an awkward step and limps to the ground.
There is that change of direction and tweak, but I don’t see much else. It’s possible that he just stepped awkwardly, went down, and they had to report Achilles because that’s what they looked at. This is something to monitor but he appeared to avoid major injury.
LB Terrel Bernard (Right Ankle)
Bernard suffered a right ankle injury on the play below as he rolled his ankle trying to drive forward. Originally, I had thought he suffered a toe or midfoot sprain, but his ankle was the part that took the brunt of the injury.
Unfortunately, this is the same ankle that he injured in Week 7 last season that forced him to miss a game and prior to that, the same ankle that his subluxed or partially dislocated against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2023 Wild Card round of the playoffs.
This ankle at this point is chronically loose which means it is more susceptible to injury though doesn’t become as damaged with re-injury.
It’s not clear if this was a garden variety low ankle sprain that he couldn’t cut on or if there is additional damage. Once they get an MRI completed, they will have a better idea of his timeline and what he is dealing with.
This bye week will allow him to rehab and get right but we will have to see how he responds in practice as they prepare for Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers.
Update: Bernard is considered day-to-day which means that with the bye, Week 8 is in the cards.
S Cole Bishop (Cramping)
Bishop briefly left the game with 9:13 left in the third quarter and went to the locker room for fluids after he was reported to be dealing with cramping. He was able to return with 6:43 left in the fourth quarter after Jordan Poyer played in his absence.
Other Observations
CB Maxwell Hairston (Right Knee LCL Sprain)
This timeline for Hairston to return is shaping up to what we found out last week about the potential for him to return in Week 10. This is far longer than I believe anyone expected this injury to take but considering the likely additional unreported damage along with all the reps missed, the team was smart to slow play this injury.
LB Dorian Williams (Right Knee)
Still pictures from Monday’s game that Williams had a brace on his right knee confirming that he injured the knee in Week 4. He had previously been wearing a brace on the left knee since training camp.
CB Jordan Hancock (Right Shoulder)
Hancock was sporting a shoulder brace during Monday’s game. This was the same area that he dealt with in the preseason when he suffered a stinger and had tape on the area. The brace suggests that he continues to have issues in the area and has been wearing a red non-contact jersey earlier in practice this season.
Final Thoughts
The Bills are heading into the bye on a two-game losing streak which is never great for a Super Bowl contender. With injuries affecting every part of the roster including missing Curtis Samuel and Dalton Kincaid tonight, the Bills have to reset this next week off to effectively regroup for Week 8.
They will get several suspended players back, several players nursing injuries, and potentially several more from injured reserve if their practice windows open.
My advice to anyone that has gotten this far, it’s frustrating, but it’s football. Tune out for the next week while the Bills are off and look forward to Week 8 to get back on track.
If you can’t do that, make sure to follow along for the latest injury updates.
Top Photo Credit: Bryan Bennett/Getty Images
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