Buffalo Bills Week 9 Postgame Injury Review- Jacksonville Jaguars

I looked past the Jaguars. 

You looked past the Jaguars. 

The Bills looked past the Jaguars. 

Pretty much everyone looked past the Jaguars Sunday. 

A 9-6 loss smacked everyone in the face and reminded everyone that no win is a guarantee. In addition to the painful loss, several Bills are dealing with injuries that will keep some out for various durations. Below is the post-game injury breakdown. 

In-game injuries:

S Jaquan Johnson (Hamstring)

Johnson exited Sunday’s game briefly with a hamstring injury that was likely sustained on the opening kickoff. He did not play in any of the defensive snaps during the first quarter as Jacksonville ate up the clock.

A graphic showed up later in the first quarter as he was questionable with the injury but later returned. He played in 4 special teams snaps, limiting his time to kickoff coverage. 

Considering he was able to come back in, this may be minor. I would expect that he still shows up on the injury report this week. 

CB Taron Johnson (Concussion)

Johnson left the game late in the first quarter, only appearing in the first defensive series of the game. As it was an extended drive, he played in 11 plays total. After the Bills’ offense got on the field, the team announced that he would be evaluated for a head injury. 

It’s not clear when he suffered the injury but a likely candidate would be when he tackled Carlos Hyde as he came up the middle with 10:21 left in the first quarter. Johnson may have been feeling alright following the hit and had a delayed onset of symptoms once he stepped off the field. The hit to the head did not appear to alert the athletic trainer spotters as he would have been immediately removed from the game.

As with every other concussion, Johnson must pass through the 5-stage concussion protocol before being cleared to return as seen below.

This is his second publicly documented concussion in the NFL as seen in his injury profile. There’s a chance that he can return to play in Week 10, but impossible to predict. He did not miss any games when he suffered his concussion last year, but each concussion is different. 

RB Zack Moss (Concussion)

A lot that was said for Taron Johnson can also be said for Moss regarding the concussion including working through the 5-stage process to return. 

This is Moss’ first publicly documented concussion that I have been able to find dating back to college. Like Johnson, it wasn’t clear when Moss suffered his concussion, his last play he was directly involved in was with 10:58 on the clock in the 3rd quarter. During the run to the left, his helmet did get knocked off as he was taken to the ground. He then was in for one more play before Josh Allen threw his first interception of the day. 

Time will tell whether he passes through the protocol this week to play next Sunday. 

DT Ed Oliver (Hard hit to trunk)

Oliver briefly required attention from the trainers with 5:49 left in the 3rd quarter and was able to walk off the field under his own power. On replay, Oliver took down Trevor Lawrence with the rookie QB landing directly on Oliver’s chest/abdomen area. 

He exited briefly and was able to return to the next defensive series. McDermott noted in Monday’s press conference that he was fine.

CB Tre’Davious White (Right shoulder)

White attempted to pick off a low pass that he ultimately missed, hitting his right shoulder hard into the ground near the sideline. He was down for several moments while trainers tended to him. It initially appeared as though he suffered a garden variety AC joint sprain, but trainers were assessing more towards his chest which could suggest an SC joint sprain. 

I did not notice this until looking at the replay and this was first acknowledged by @ProFootballDoc Dr. David Chao at his website. White was able to return to finish the game and it would not be concerning if he showed up on the injury report this week. This is something he could play through if needed. Sean McDermott also noted that he was alright today.

Other observations:

S Jordan Poyer (Right shoulder)

Poyer suffered a shoulder injury in practice Wednesday and was questionable heading into the game. He was observed with tape on the right shoulder indicating that this was the side he injured. He was able to hit with that side but didn’t appear as physical as in previous games. 

He may be dealing with an AC joint sprain as well but did not wear bracing as it either may have been minor or he did not want the bracing to restrict his ability to play the ball. 

G Jon Feliciano (Left Calf)

Feliciano will spend the next 3 games on injured reserve with the calf injury he sustained against the Dolphins. 

He will be eligible to return in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints. How he rehabs will indicate when he returns and how the offensive line performs may dictate if he returns on Thanksgiving or later. 

WR Cole Beasley (Left Ribs)

While Beasley did play Sunday, he was unable to move the ball, going down shortly after catching the pass to avoid any further hits to his ribs. Sean McDermott noted that he expected Beasley to practice and play Sunday. 

TE Dawson Knox (Right Hand) and OT Spencer Brown (Back)

McDermott noted that both are hopeful to return to practice this week after missing the past two games. 

The Bills are still 5-3 and in first place in the AFC East. They are playing a division opponent in the New York Jets that could serve as a get-right game. Based on how this week goes, the Bills could be seeing backup Mike White again while Zack Wilson continues to rehabilitate his PCL strain. 

The Bills will hope to get healthier this week and regroup as they face a beat-up Jets team that will see Buffalo as a vulnerable opponent looking to end their AFC East winning streak. Look for plenty of updates this week for both teams.

Top Photo Credit: Adrian Kraus, The Associated Press