The Buffalo Bills prepare for a showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first playoff game in 17 years. It has been a long time coming and the Bills fan base can’t wait! The big narrative for Buffalo coming into this game is whether RB LeSean McCoy will be able to play after spraining his ankle in Sunday’s win over Miami. Today’s post will analyze McCoy’s injury along with others listed on the injury report.
First things first, LeSean McCoy will play Sunday despite being listed as questionable. That’s a fact and anyone can hold me to it if he doesn’t suit up. Worst case scenario is that his workload is limited which clinically I would prefer. This would allow him to be more effective and reduce further injury. He has been reported stating that he can walk without any pain and has been able to perform stretching in practice and was limited in practice. McCoy will continue to rehabilitate until game time and limit stressing the injured area. Thankfully, the injury was not severe, the response was not severe, the outcomes will be positive.
Others questionable are LB Matt Milano (hamstring) OT Jordan Mills (ankle), WR Deonte Thompson (shoulder), and QB Joe Webb (ankle). Milano suffered a hamstring injury during some point in Sunday’s game. As he has not practiced all week and it is a soft tissue injury, it will be difficult to determine whether he will be ready to play. Milano may be a precautionary approach as is McCoy, but severity is unknown at this time. If he is unable to play, LB Ramon Humber is able to step up.
Mills, Thompson, and Webb are all dealing with their respective injuries with no surprises here with the exception of Webb with an ankle injury. Webb’s main impact is on special teams and 3rd string QB and as he is limited in practice gives hope that he will be able to play in some fashion Sunday. Mills and Thompson should be able to play as Mills injury on video was minimal for acute injury and it is still unknown what Thompson did to his shoulder in practice. Consider that they both played through their respective injuries during Sunday. I suspect that there are some smoke screens with everyone limited in practice and questionable to prevent keep the Jaguars on their toes.
Unfortunately, CB Shareece Wright is ruled out with a concussion sustained in the Patriots game. As he is still not practicing in any fashion, this may indicate that he is still in the earlier stages of the concussion protocol and is still too early to determine whether he will be available if the Bills move onto next week.
As I have said this entire season, the health of this roster has been crucial to this team’s success. While there are several starters on IR, the team has adapted to their absence and continued to sustain success despite losses. With the roster as it is now along with those on the injury report this week are able to play, the Bills can win their first playoff game in 22 years. This is a winnable game, but must be a mistake free game and capitalize on field position and force the Jaguars into mistakes.
I am looking forward to sitting down and watching a Buffalo Bills playoff game with a cold beer in hand, food on the table, and relishing the moment. Win or lose, this has been a very successful season for which the Bills can build off of and sustain success for some time with the right moves. Time will determine how Sunday plays out, but it is promising.
Continue to check back for the latest updates and articles regarding Buffalo Bills injuries. For the latest updates and game time reactions, follow me on Twitter @kyletrimble88. As always, thank you for reading, enjoy this moment as Bills fans, and GO BILLS!!
