What a game, what a game, what a game!! The Bills pulled off a spectacular win at New Era Field with a 13-7 score over the Indianapolis Colts!! Man what a game! Besides the snow and the cold, the Bills came out on the winning end of things without major injury. Today’s post will break down why the Bills are in good shape health wise for a playoff push if they still have something left in the tank.
Thankfully, injures were at a minimum during yesterday’s game due to the poor footing and snow to soften some of the blows. This doesn’t mean there wasn’t any injuries, just far fewer than usual. Starting off, QB Nathan Peterman had to leave the game late in the 3rd quarter due to a head injury sustained when he dove/fell head first and was hit helmet to helmet. He had to leave the game and was able to walk off on his own power. QB Joe Webb was able to take over and while he looked shaky, he was able to maintain the lead and give Peterman his first NFL win.
It is far too early to tell how serious Peterman’s head injury is but he is in the concussion protocol. We have seen a variety of timelines from other players this season with regards to returning after a suspected concussion. CB Tre’Davious White and RB Travaris Cadet were both able to return rather quickly while DT Jerel Worthy was out several weeks. There is no real way to determine severity based on hit alone as evident by Gronkowski’s hit on White last week. Regardless of the outcome of Peterman’s injury, QB Tyrod Taylor will be ready to play against the Dolphins.
Also injured on the same play of Peterman’s head injury, OT Jordan Mills sustained a left knee injury that took him out for several plays, but was able to return later. However, with the lack of depth at the position, Mills may have been forced to play though the injury. Video shows that he merely fell after getting twisted up during line play but did not appear to suffer any injury to the joint.
Finally, WR Kelvin Benjamin re-injured his right knee twice; first on a hard hit to the knee during landing early during the 4th quarter. He was able to return later in the game and unfortunately re-injured his knee. I do not believe that he tore his meniscus further or sustained any additional structural damage, but rather landed hard similar to what Taylor sustained last week. Analyzing video of the game supports that there were no mechanisms for injury; rather just hard hits to the knee along with adding in previous pain due to the already healing meniscus. As Benjamin is being further evaluated, I do not believe anything more will come of the injury.
After that brutal game with all the slipping and sliding, I expect the injury report to be rather long with several veterans requiring rest days and most guys being banged up with minor muscle strains and contusions due to the brutal nature of the game. I expect that the Bills will be able to be able to rest up and be ready to play an always tough Dolphins team that look to end the Bills playoff chances.
Look for the next article to dive deeper into the injury report and explain any new injuries presented to the media. Until then, continue to check back for new articles and updates as more information becomes available. For the latest injury information, follow me on Twitter at @kyletrimble88. As always, thank you for reading and GO BILLS!!
