The Buffalo Bills moved to 4-2 on the season by defeating the New York Jets 23-20 on Monday Night Football. This moves the Bills into sole possession in first place in the AFC East while the loss puts the Jets to 2-4 and on a three-game losing streak.
In addition to the win, the Bills managed to avoid any reported injuries during the game.
On Victory Tuesday, Sean McDermott noted “nothing significant” other than bumps and bruises, a fine outcome given how the injury report has looked as of late.
The only bumps or bruises or where guys were a little slow to get up were Connor McGovern, Taylor Rapp, and Dalton Kincaid. Those instances may have been more hurt than injured but we will get more information come Wednesday after the first injury report.
Other Observations
WR Khalil Shakir (Right High-Ankle Sprain)
Shakir ended up playing after being questionable heading into the game following the Week 4 injury against the Baltimore Ravens. Below is Shakir’s first play and in-game observations.
While he did play, he did not have notable statistical production producing two receptions on two targets for 19 yards on 26 snaps. Whether this was a way to use him as a decoy or ramp him up is unclear. I would expect for him to see an increase in snaps the following two weeks before he is back to his regular workload.
I thought he could have benefitted from one more week off and probably should have, but the Bills deployed him smartly to make sure the defense had to account for him.
CB Taron Johnson (Right Forearm Fracture)
Johnson made his triumphant return after missing the last four games due to a fractured forearm. He was able to play in 98 percent of defensive snaps and performed incredibly well topping off his performance with a game winning interception.
I was incredibly pleased with his performance and there did not appear to be any drop off in performance Monday.
S Taylor Rapp (Concussion)
Rapp returned to the lineup after missing one game due to a concussion sustained in Week 4. When he returned, he wore a Guardian Cap over his regular helmet to help protect him from any further concussive blows.
Whether it made a difference or not is up to him, but it really wasn’t an issue or noticeable unless you looked for him on the field. It still does look awkward but if it helps him and reduces injuries to others when his helmet hits them, then it works.
RB James Cook (Left Toe)/DT Ed Oliver (Left Hamstring)
Cook was a surprise absence after his agency stated that he would play on Monday despite his toe injury. Both have a very reasonable chance to play on Sunday with a greater chance of Oliver over Cook based on their injuries.
WR Amari Cooper
The Bills made a big move today, signing veteran WR Amari Cooper for the remainder of the season to add to a wide receiver room that is lacking throughout the first quarter of the season. To make room for Cooper, the team released Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
A full injury analysis will be available shortly.
Final Thoughts
While it wasn’t a thorough beat down as in past weeks, the win does move the Bills to 2-0 in the division and adds a head-to-head tiebreaker for playoffs and the division. The more important aspect is that there were not any new notable injuries and hopefully some names can drop off the list this week.
Make sure to check back for the Amari Cooper injury analysis and updates as they come in through the week.
Top Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
