The Buffalo Bills went down south to face the Carolina Panthers, throttling them 40-9 to move to 5-2 on the season. Coming off the bye, the Buffalo Bills are now 9-0 since Sean McDermott became the head coach.
This game had an absolutely monstrous day from James Cook with 216 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. We also saw the NFL debut from CB Maxwell Hairston, the return of TE Dalton Kincaid, and LB Terrel Bernard, though the latter was only available in the case of emergency.
This was the type of game that allowed the Bills to get back on track as they prepare for Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs next week. Despite all the positive outcomes, there were still several injuries of note including one that could be for an extended time. Read below for all the injury updates coming out of Week 8.
In-Game Injuries
DT Ed Oliver (Left Biceps)
The biggest injury of the day, Oliver suffered a left elbow injury with just under two minutes left in the second quarter. Oliver battled through the line and looked to get his arm caught behind him and the elbow potentially hyperextended. He fell down and immediately grabbed at the top portion of the elbow before he walked off with his arm dangling.
In the second video, he can once again be seen motioning to the elbow where the biceps attach to the ulna before he walks into the locker room. His biceps also looks enlarged suggesting a Popeye deformity.
Finally, he was ruled out almost immediately with a biceps designation.
This presentation and timeline strongly suggests a distal biceps tear.
He was spotted during the game and after with a sling on underneath his hoodie indicating he needed support.
He appeared to get bad news because on his Instagram, he posted the following story below indicating the news is not good.
We know there is an injury, further testing will tell us how long he will be out.
My fear is that he tore the distal biceps enough that he will need to undergo surgery. If this is the case, he could be looking at a three to four month recovery similar to what Matt Milano dealt with last season. However, this would take Oliver to the playoffs, sometime in the divisional round or AFC Championship. This would be under an ideal rehab timeline using every tool at their disposal. And that’s compressing the timeline significantly.
To read more about his distal biceps tear, click below to read about Ed Oliver’s prognosis published on October 27.
We will get more news on Monday afternoon once the Bills fly back from Charlotte and he gets an MRI on Monday morning. It wouldn’t surprise me to hear that Oliver undergoes surgery Monday or Tuesday.
G O’Cyrus Torrence (Right Wrist)
Torrence suffered a right wrist injury late in the third quarter on a tush push play just prior to the Bills going up 40-9. He did not miss any snaps but did go for x-rays following the game. However, it’s not clear if the imaging was for the right wrist.
He did not have anything on his right wrist following the game during the interview below but his right wrist was swollen on the thumb side as he moved the arm around. This will be one that needs more information including if the wrist needed imaging.
Other Observations
CB Maxwell Hairston (Right Knee)
Sunday saw the NFL debut of the Bills first round draft pick after his return from his right LCL sprain suffered on July 29. He platooned with Tre’Davious White for most of the game and got one tackle.
He did wear his knee brace for added protection as he only had a week of practice under his belt which made his activation all the more surprising. I’ll be looking forward to reviewing his film and seeing how he moved overall.
LB Terrel Bernard (Right Ankle)
Despite being active, Bernard did not take any snaps today as he was an emergency option in the event of other injuries at linebacker. He was coming off his right ankle sprain suffered in Week 6, a frequently injured body part as of late.
The Bills were smart to hold him out to allow him to heal up further as they prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9.
Final Thoughts
It was a fantastic win but not without the Bills paying a price. Ed Oliver has looked fantastic in the games that he has played, but his ankle and now biceps has robbed him of crucial time. This may not be the end of his season, but the Bills will need to make a move at defensive tackle and push to the playoffs to have a shot at having him return.
The Bills prepare for the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9 which will certainly test them even if they are fully healthy. Having Larry Ogunjobi and Michael Hoecht return helped immensely, but missing key contributors still hurts no matter who you replace them with.
This next week will be an interesting one as the Bills look to maintain their standing in the AFC playoff picture and secure a top seed.
Top Photo Credit: FOX Sports
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