The Buffalo Bills lost to the Chicago Bears 33-6 in a rather ugly preseason game. While preseason wins and losses don’t count, the performance on the field still carries some weight.
We did not see much of the first team offense today and even those on the starting defensive unit exited quickly. While most of the game was played by second and third string players, it left a lot to be desired by a fan base that has been impatiently awaiting the return of football.
Fortunately, the Bills did not suffer many injuries during today’s game and are in decent shape as they return to Orchard Park for the second half of the preseason.
Read below for the injuries coming out of Saturday’s game and analysis.
In-game Injuries
DT Ed Oliver (Knee)
Oliver exited on the first defensive play of the game when he injured his knee either by tweaking it or falling onto the knee. It’s difficult to see but it looks as though he grabs at his right knee as he’s falling down out of the frame.
After a brief evaluation, he was cleared to return but did not due to it being a preseason game. Considering he was cleared, this does not appear to be a concern moving forward.
DE Kingsley Jonathan (Right Knee)
Jonathan appeared to injure his right knee when he was blocking late in the third quarter. He had to lift his leg out of the way to avoid getting it rolled up on before planting the leg which caused him to lose his balance and fall over as he was pushed. The knee bent inward and appeared to take the brunt of the force potentially causing a mild MCL sprain.
He was able to walk off but did not return to finish the game. There is a concern he could miss several practices but the injury may have looked worse than it really is.
WR Bryan Thompson (Right Hamstring)
Thompson exited the game early in the fourth quarter grabbing at his right hamstring on the ground. This came after he ran a route that he either stopped suddenly or came up lame.
While Thompson has not exactly wowed in camp, he does have time in this system and was a practice squad guy all last year. The hope is that the injury is fairly minor or that it was a cramp and he can return to the field sooner than later.
Other Observations
LB Matt Milano (Right Leg)/EDGE Von Miller (Maintenance)
Head coach Sean McDermott noted that they did not play Milano due to part of his medical plan whereas Miller did not play due to needing to manage his reps.
To limit both of them was the smart plan as Milano still needs more time ramping up in practice before he is reintroduced to live game reps. As for Miller, he is already looking better than he did last year, but there is no benefit to having him play now and wearing him down before the season.
Did not play due to injury
WR Mack Hollins (Leg Soreness)
WR Chase Claypool (Left Toe)
WR Justin Shorter (Left Knee)
S Mike Edwards (Right Hamstring)
S Cole Bishop (Left Shoulder)
RB Ty Johnson (Right Hamstring)
LB Edefuan Ulofoshio (Rib)
LB Nicholas Morrow (Core muscle/Groin)
OT Travis Clayton (Right Shoulder)
DT DaQuan Jones (Groin)
DE Casey Toohill (Groin)
Final Thoughts
There wasn’t anyone that I expected to play that didn’t and there weren’t any surprise inactives. The injury list is longer than anyone would like, but it isn’t much longer than what we’ve dealt with in recent seasons. This is the time to be conservative in managing the injuries because of the roster size and the fact that the games do not matter.
The hope is that at least Edwards, Johnson, Toohill, Shorter, Hollins, and Claypool can return to practice in some capacity next week. Outside of Hollins, everyone needs the practice reps to show why they should make the roster.
Thankfully there were no major injuries and the Bills can get a few guys back healthy for next week. The next opponent is the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday that will be preceded by joint practices.
Top Photo Credit: Getty Images
