After a wild win over the Los Angeles Rams, the Buffalo Bills stayed out west at UC Irvine to prepare to take on the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6. Their plan to stay out west for a week in order to reduce Jet lag and excessive travel will hopefully keep the team fresher and acclimate to the heat compared to the cooler temperatures in Buffalo.
Despite winning on Monday, the Bills still have a tough opponent in the Raiders, who, after starting 3-0 have lost the last two games to Kansas City and New England. They are looking to snap out of their losing streak against a Bills team that may still be riding an emotional high.
Both teams are dealing with injuries that affect key positions and depth that could affect how each team prepares and the final outcome.
Read below for the injury analysis for each team and projected inactives.
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BUFFALO BILLS INJURY REPORT
QUESTIONABLE
CB Dee Alford (Right Ankle)
After missing last week due to a right ankle injury sustained against the New England Patriots, Alford worked his way back into shape, as evidenced by the videos below.
He was limited last week on Friday and based on how he was moving and the depth issues, I suspect he could have played at less than 100 percent, but the Bills were looking long-term for a more complete recovery.
While he is officially questionable, I suspect that he plays based on how he looked in practice and the fact that he missed last week. DB’s who suffer an ankle injury miss 1.26 games, and with Alford missing last week, I like his chances to play this week.
WR DJ Moore (Left Shoulder)
Despite being out on the field in a red non-contact jersey, Moore did not practice this week. Head coach Joe Brady summed up their conversation about Moore sitting last week below.
While I appreciate Moore wanting to play, the fact that they sat him down tells us they’re looking for the long-term benefit for him. Damage may have worsened with the second hit, but having three weeks to let the shoulder actually heal instead of simply injecting it will help avoid this from lingering longer than it should. Even when he returns in Week 8, the shoulder will not be 100 percent, but will be stable enough that should he take another hit to the area, this could allow him to better protect the area rather than restarting the healing process.
DL Ed Oliver (Left Knee)
Oliver missed the Week 5 contest against the Los Angeles Rams after suffering a left knee injury against the Patriots the prior week. This was the result of former teammate Reggie Gilliam falling into his knee, causing what looked to be an MCL sprain.
According to the Banged Up Bills injury database, defensive tackles miss 1.18 games due to a knee injury. Oliver completed the first week, and while he may be trending in the right direction, the Bills smartly kept him out one more week to use the bye for a full recovery.
The Bills have historically not been any more aggressive in having a player play heading into a bye than a regular week. This means that they have stuck to their rehab plans despite what lies on the other side.
WR Joshua Palmer (Shoulder)
After getting twisted up in practice last Friday, Palmer was downgraded to out after missing Saturday’s practice. Fortunately, he was able to return to practice on Thursday after the walkthrough and saw him working with a red non-contact jersey.
He spoke with The Buffalo News’ Jay Skurski and stated that he’s looking forward to returning to the lineup.
We don’t have specifics on the injury quite yet, but he appears on track to play, especially if DJ Moore doesn’t suit up, and this also means Skyler Bell gets activated again.
DL T.J. Sanders (Shoulder)
Sanders rough 2026 continues following his season debut after missing the first four games due to an appendectomy and knee injury. He pops up on the injury report after playing in 62 percent of the defensive snaps. He did have a left shoulder injury heading into the Wild Card game against the Jacksonville Jaguars but was able to play through the injury.
Despite being limited Wednesday and Thursday before getting a full practice on Friday while being questionable, 98.5 percent of Bills players with this practice pattern end up playing. The only reason I could see him sit out is if it becomes a numbers game and Sanders is the odd man out.
ACTIVE
RB Ty Johnson (Hamstring)
Johnson was a new addition to the injury report with his hamstring injury after being removed last week. He was a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday but managed to get a full practice in on Friday without a designation. This may have been some soreness from the surgical area that he was dealing with, but hopefully this is eliminated following the bye week.
OLB TJ Parker (Rib)
Parker was on the injury report with a rib designation but practiced fully all week. Considering he was a full participant this week, this may have been a contusion or a minor strain to the rib musculature that is requiring some treatment.
G Ar’maj Reed-Adams (Right Elbow)
Reed-Adams continues to require rehab for his right elbow injury that he sustained during practice ahead of Week 3. He continues to wear an elbow brace while practicing despite being a healthy scratch.
CB Christian Benford (Right Toe)
Benford continues to work through his right toe injury after re-injuring it after slamming it on the ground while tackling Rams WR Puka Nacua on Monday. While the original injury was more significant, this still very much irritated it and led to him being limited this week. Fortunately, he was able to practice in full this week and has no designation.
LB Terrel Bernard (Left Knee)
Bernard continues to be listed with a knee injury dating back to prior to Week 3, though he has not had a designation heading into a game. He has required veteran rest days at times, but there is not a clear reason why his knee is bothering him.
He did have knee injuries dating back to 2023 with both knees that he played through, and also had a meniscus tear that required a meniscectomy in 2021 in his left knee. It’s possible that the knee that required the surgery is bothering him again, but this is only speculation without confirmation of a particular side or any additional information. Despite not having a game day designation, he has still looked out of sorts at times, which could be due to his play or the defensive scheme, which has affected the entire back seven.
Looking at practice photos from Thursday, he has a sleeve on the left side, which I am speculating that this is the side affected.
OT Spencer Brown (Back)
Brown returned to practice this week after exiting midway through the game due to a back injury. Looking at the video, there was no mechanism of injury which made me believe he had a flare up. This was confirmed by the fact that the team worked to try to get him back onto the field Monday and then his comments following Wednesday’s practice.
I see this often in patients I treat: the stressors of life affecting their ability to move. I saw this on Thursday with a post op patient. I know Brown is paid very well, but the stress of playing at a high level, getting sick, traveling, and his prior history of back issues led to something that finally tripped his nervous system up and caused the flare-up.
Brown also described this as a muscular freak-out, which is basically a spasm. I do have some concerns that this could linger, but as long as he stays moving, his hydration is adequate, and his stress levels stay lower, along with not getting sick, then he can stay ahead of any issues. Back injuries such as his do require some maintenance to keep things in check, but you could make the case for any injury, especially at a high level. Brown has said himself that he will play this week, which will be necessary with Maxx Crosby on deck.
OLB Bradley Chubb (Left Thumb)
Chubb continues to have his left thumb heavily taped since suffering the injury in Week 1, suggesting a fracture or even a ligament sprain that needs protection. He has still had steady production and has not been limited because of the injury.
WR Keon Coleman (Right Ankle)
Coleman continues his steady play this season despite working through a right ankle injury sustained against the Detroit Lions in Week 2. This appeared to be a right low ankle sprain but he also had a prior foot/toe injury on the same side dating back to mid-August. Despite the injury, he has still been productive which means this may require more maintenance versus a more significant injury.
DL Landon Jackson (Right Knee)
Jackson hyperextended his knee against the New England Patriots, forcing him to briefly leave the contest before returning to finish the game. This was also the same side that he had his MCL and PCL injuries last season against the Miami Dolphins. Following the injury, he was limited on Wednesday before getting full practices on Thursday and Friday, but he was still questionable and downgraded to inactive for Monday.
This may have been more of a numbers game at this point but the staff I’m sure are still watching his knee closely to make sure nothing lingers as the season progresses.
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Ankle/Knee)
CJGJ appeared to avoid a major injury on Monday when he tackled Rams RB Blake Corum and saved a potential touchdown. He was pointing at his right knee when he was down on the ground but had appeared to plant and injure his left leg.
After a brief assessment on the sidelines, he was able to return and finish the game. What’s even more astonishing is that he was able to practice in full all week. I’m incredibly surprised at his resiliency but it’s fortunate that he continues to be available and a difference maker in the secondary.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS INJURY REPORT
OUT
DT Tonka Hemingway (Concussion)
Hemingway was forced to leave Week 5 against the New England Patriots in the first quarter after he was initially designated as dealing with a stinger before it changed to a neck injury. Following the game, he was later placed in the concussion protocol and was unable to practice all week and was ruled out on Friday.
QUESTIONABLE
G Trey Zuhn (Knee)
Zuhn missed last week’s game against the New England Patriots after suffering a knee injury in the first half of the Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He was limited this week and is officially questionable for the game.
According to the Banged Up Bills injury database, Raiders players who have three limited practices in a row play 83 percent of the time. I’d expect he suits up.
ACTIVE
TE Brock Bowers (Left Knee)
Bowers continues to work through his meniscus trim in his left knee dating back to September 8 which forced him to miss the first two games of the season. These surgery recoveries are usually closer to 4-6 weeks for most people but since this is the NFL, these timelines are compressed. The fact that he is still on the injury report is due to his rehab, but despite being less than 100 percent, he is still tearing up NFL defenses.
Despite being on the injury report, the Bills will still have to find several different ways to game plan against Bowers, and even then, he may still get his.
G Spencer Burford (Knee)
Burford has been on the injury report dating back to Week 5 as he works through a knee injury that has left him limited during the week. He has been able to get a full practice in on the final day and has had no designation the last two weeks.
DT Folorunso Fatukasi (Shoulder)
Fatukasi has been on the injury report with a shoulder designation dating back to Week 3 but has not had any game-day designations so far. He has been on the injury report for his shoulder throughout his career but despite being listed as questionable at times, he has never missed a game due to a shoulder injury.
RB Ashton Jeanty (Right Foot)
Jeanty has been on and off the injury report this season after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the preseason that limited him at the beginning of the season. He was able to be removed before he picked up a bout of plantar fasciitis, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
This is mostly a pain issue but this will still make it difficult at times to push off the foot effectively when cutting and sprinting. This is something the team has to manage, and it appears they are as he hasn’t missed any games yet, but after being relatively healthy coming out of college, he has dealt with injuries that have really limited his ability to showcase his true talents in the NFL.
DE Patrick Johnson (Oblique/Shoulder)
Johnson suffered a stinger in the second quarter of Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots and was unable to return. At some point either on Sunday or in practice this week, he picked up an oblique injury but was able to practice in full all week. He is primarily a special teams contributor, which means even if this injury was affecting him more, he would still suit up.
WR Jalen Nailor (Concussion)
Nailor missed last week’s game after taking a hit in the Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter. After not practicing Wednesday, he was able to increase his workload to limited on Thursday, and finally got a full practice in on Friday. He was finally cleared from the concussion protocol to play on Sunday.
LB Segun Olubi (Wrist)
Olubi has been dealing with a wrist injury dating back to his first appearance on the injury report prior to Week 5. He is primarily a special teams player, and he has practiced in full the last two weeks, which means this isn’t much of an issue.
WR Dareke Young (Shoulder)
Young showed up on the injury report this week with a shoulder injury after playing mostly special teams snaps but getting some work in on offense with 11 snaps but no targets. This season, he has 2 receptions for 36 yards, so not exactly a main focus in the offense. He was able to get full practices in this week, indicating that this may have been more of a maintenance issue.
INJURED RESERVE
TE Carter Runyon (Foot)
Runyon returned to practice Wednesday after missing the first five games of the season due to a foot injury he suffered late in training camp. The Raiders placed him on injured reserve as a result, and now his 21-day practice window has opened up. Considering the depth they already have at tight end and this is his first week back since August, I wasn’t expecting him to suit up this week as he ramps up and has been ruled out.
WR Don’te Thornton (Hamstring)
Thornton is in the middle of his practice window as he returns from injured reserve following his early August hamstring injury. He was forced to miss the first five games of the season as he recovered, but with full practices all week, there is a distinct possibility that Thornton suits up this week. He was primarily an offensive player last year, but the team believes he needed one more week and has been ruled out.
Buffalo Bills Projected Inactives
DE Mike Danna
S Jalen Kilgore
OL Ar’Maj Reed-Adams
OT Jude Bowry
DT Ed Oliver
WR DJ Moore
Call Ups: DT Phidarian Mathis
Las Vegas Raiders Projected Inactives
DT Tonka Hemingway
QB Aiden O’Connell
S Tristan McCollum
RB Roman Hemby
S Dalton Johnson
Final Thoughts
This is a very winnable game for the Buffalo Bills, but the outcome will come down to which team decides to show up. The Bills from Weeks 1 and 2 or the ones that showed inconsistency in Weeks 3 and 4? This defense hasn’t been great at limiting the amount of points that they have, but luckily the offense has been able to score and stay ahead when it matters. The wildest thing about this defense is the stat that friend Joe Marino put out comparing the Bills’ 2020 defense to this year’s defense; the similarities are striking.
I recall the defense having some bad moments, especially when games were rescheduled like the Tennessee Titans moved to a Tuesday and that wild come-from-behind win over the Rams, but I also think we were all so excited that the team was doing so well that it didn’t matter as much. Now with higher expectations, we expect that the defense is more lock down in regards to letting offenses score.
This should be a very competitive game, especially in the 4:25 pm window as the Game of the Week with the entire nation watching. I hope that this is a compelling game and without significant injury as the Bills head into their bye week looking to get healthy for the back stretch of the season.
Top Photo Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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