In a back-and-forth game that saw Buffalo on the ropes at times, they had several key defensive plays and an aggressiveness on offense that led to a 39-34 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals to move to 9-4 on the season.
This game had nearly everything you want out of a football game with high scoring and exciting defensive plays including a Christian Benford pick-six. This was a much needed win for both teams but the Bills came out ahead which keeps the AFC East a faint hope but significantly hurts the Bengals chances to make the playoffs.
On top of the crazy win, the Bills were able to avoid significant injury as they loo to get healthier for this December stretch of football.
Read below for the full injury analysis coming out of Sunday’s win.
In Game Injuries
CB Christian Benford (Right Hand)
The defensive hero of the game, Benford quietly walked into the x-ray room following the win to have an initially undisclosed injury assessed.
Benford appeared fine coming off the field and was interviewed about 10 minutes after Sabato’s tweet. He did have a bandage on his right hand in post game pictures and you can see in the video below, he also had the bandage on the hand with the imaging being precautionary.
Looking at things closer, Benford had blood on his glove as he ran in for the pick six.
The injury also happened before the Mike Gesicki touchdown due to him being on the field goal block unit as noted below.
I can’t quite find when he suffered the injury with a look at All-22 giving us a better idea.
This will be something to watch in the coming days but the lack of a brace or cast on the area suggests it’s not broken.
WR Khalil Shakir (Right Leg)
Shakir was briefly seen working out his right leg after he appeared to kick his right leg against Connor McGovern’s left leg and also potentially had the leg hit by a Bengals defender as seen below.
This was a more hurt than injured situation as Shakir didn’t have an injury designation and did not leave the game.
S Cole Bishop (Cramping)
Bishop had to briefly exit the game with 11:35 and 10:10 left in the fourth quarter for cramping, originally questionable to return.
The one clue we got prior to the announcement was that he was getting stretched out but it wasn’t stated what he was getting stretched. When he left the second time, he went to the locker room before later returning.
It certainly cost him snaps but nothing that is long term.
Other Observations
TE Dalton Kincaid (Right Hamstring/Left Knee)
One additional note was that TE Dalton Kincaid suited up after missing the last three games due to a right hamstring strain against the Miami Dolphins. His availablity was in question though because of his left knee injury he worked through this week as a result of rehabbing his hamstring. This was the knee that he suffered a PCL sprain last year against the Indianapolis Colts.
Despite the knee getting irritated and swelling up on him, he still managed to gut it out, securing 4 receptions on 5 targets for 41 yards and a touchdown.
I don’t believe he is far from over his injuries as I expect his left knee to keep him on the injury report for a while. This may be something he gets addressed in the offseason, but Kincaid stepped up despite his injury and had an impact.
LB Terrel Bernard (Right Elbow)
Bernard has missed the last two games with a right elbow injury but new information became available Sunday when FOX sideline reporter Pam Oliver reported prior to kickoff that Bernard had suffered a dislocated elbow instead of the hyperextended elbow that I originally thought he suffered as seen below.
This explains why Bernard has missed more time though I had thought they were allowing him to rest his other injuries due to the elbow.
According to the literature, it takes on average 25.8 days for a defensive player to return from a dislocated elbow. Even when he does return, he will have to wear a hinged elbow brace and will still have some difficulty tackling along with taking on and shedding blocks.
We will have to see how Bernard progresses but the fact that he wasn’t placed on injured reserve says they think he can return in under four weeks. It’s possible we could see him return to practice this week and potentially play in Week 15 or 16 with a Week 16 return more likely.
DE Landon Jackson (Right Knee MCL/PCL Sprain)
Jackson has been on injured reserve since suffering a right MCL/PCL sprain in Week 10 against the Miami Dolphins.
On Friday, McDermott confirmed that Jackson would not return this season.
After about a month of rehab, the team has a better idea of how the knee is responding and either it’s not responding as quickly as they’d like or they don’t want to put the pressure on a rookie to return quickly.
The MCL sprain certainly could be slow to recover with restricted range of motion still but the PCL sprain may still be slowly recovering. He has been seen in a hinged knee brace with it likely locked out to promote proper healing and prevent chronic laxity. We have seen how the PCL can still give players problems such as Gabe Davis and Dalton Kincaid. There aren’t any indications he underwent surgery but the next time we see Jackson will be during OTA’s.
DT Ed Oliver (Left Biceps Tear)
Oliver continues to make his presence known around the facility as he increases his rehab workload and has been out of his elbow brace for several weeks now.
On Friday, Sean McDermott revealed that there is a chance for Oliver to come back for the playoffs, but not any sooner.
He has remained on track to return since he tore the biceps and a timeline was established. To read more about his injury, click below.
K Tyler Bass (Left Hip/Groin)
On the Monday following the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sean McDermott stated that Tyler Bass underwent surgery the prior week and he would not return for the 2025 season.
Additional insight and thoughts will be provided shortly as to the potential procedure and timeline for recovery.
FB Reggie Gilliam (Groin Surgery)
Final Thoughts
This Bills team is flawed. That is a fact.
But they have found ways to win and step up when it matters. In a weak AFC, the Bills are still staying tough and can still make some noise come playoff time.
Despite all the uncertainties, the Bills are still one hell of a team to follow and watch every week. They have a huge matchup against the New England Patriots next week that could open the door for the division should the Bills win. Even if they don’t, the Bills are still going to be a team that no one wants to draw in the first round.
Make sure to check back often for the latest Bills injury information and articles.
Top Photo Credit: Mark Konezny-USA Today
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