The Buffalo Bills head out west to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 14 on Sunday. With a win over the Rams, they would sweep the NFC West and further dent the postseason hopes. The Bills health is improving and they potentially look to return several contributors after the return of Matt Milano last week.
While the Bills clinched the AFC East division last week, there are fighting for that one seed. This would allow them home field advantage through the playoffs and a much-needed bye.
Read about the injury report for both teams below, projected inactives, and final thoughts.
Buffalo Bills Injury Report
QUESTIONABLE
TE Dalton Kincaid (Left Knee)
Kincaid returned to practice this week as a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday after not practicing for the last two weeks plus the bye. The thought is that he suffered a PCL sprain against the Indianapolis Colts and would fit the timeline that he’s missed. You can see in the second half of the video below how he is running and he does not have a hinged knee brace on for support.
Considering he is practicing without a brace, this suggests his knee is stable enough for exercise. If I had to pick, Kincaid would play over Coleman.
WR Keon Coleman (Right Wrist)
Coleman continues to slowly work back from his right wrist injury which he has said is a bone issue and he is working on range of motion. He has been catching balls from Josh Allen as recently as last week and has been practicing for the last week ahead of the 49ers game before he was ruled out. It has been four weeks since he has played in a game which either tells you this is a bone bruise or an outright fracture.
We have seen swelling over the top of his hand which is where Jordan Poyer hit him which could lead him to have a metacarpal or carpal bone bruise. There is a chance of fracture but we haven’t seen any casting on the area, only the brace. We didn’t see Taron Johnson with a cast on either, but we know his injury was a hairline fracture.
Coleman is close, but the team has the benefit of being conservative after clinching the division last week. He may need one more week.
TE Quintin Morris (Right Shoulder/Groin)
Morris added a groin strain to his right shoulder injury, which he’s been dealing with all season. He played in 24 snaps on offense and added 15 additional snaps on special teams. It’s not clear when he suffered his strain and this is not the first soft tissue injury he’s worked through as he had a hamstring strain suffered back in Week 8. He was not on the injury report last week for the hamstring but it’s possible that the hamstring issue transitioned to the groin. He was able to practice in full Friday but may still miss just to be safe.
ACTIVE
S Taylor Rapp (Neck/Left Shoulder)
Rapp is on the injury report this week due to a neck issue from Sunday’s win on top of the left shoulder injury he has been dealing with back to Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s possible Rapp suffered the neck injury when Jordan Mason hit him as seen in the play below.
Whether this was the play or not, he was slow to get up and got his head raked to the left. Despite the limited practices, he has no designation and will play.
WR Curtis Samuel (Foot)
Samuel is back on the injury report for a foot issue that is potentially related to when he injured the foot injury he suffered in Week 5. This may also be separate from the turf toe issue dating back to the preseason. There was not an obvious moment when he suffered the injury and looking at film with players running on snow won’t help the matter. He has been consistent in appearing on the injury report for a variety of issues dating back his entire career.
OL Spencer Brown (Right Ankle)
Brown is still rehabbing from his right low ankle sprain suffered in Week 10. That forced him to miss one week but he was able to return after the break with an external ankle brace to play. He was able to play in 100 percent of snaps without significant issues.
WR Amari Cooper (Left Wrist)
Cooper has been working through his left wrist injury dating back to Week 8 when he fell and injured his wrist. He missed two games while he was recovering and had been wearing a cast once he returned in Week 11. His play has largely not been affected as he has hauled in several key catches and been part of the offense throughout.
Something to note that was discovered in the Cover 1 discord, Cooper was out at a local business and he did not have a cast on his wrist. This at least means that whatever he is dealing with is healthy enough for regular activities. My belief is that he is dealing with a TFCC injury that is slowly healing. He continues to wear the cast to protect the area during games but this is a positive step moving forward.
FB Reggie Gilliam (Hip)
Gilliam still requires rehab for his hip injury suffered in practice before Week 8. He missed two games before returning in Week 11.
LB Matt Milano (Left Biceps)
Milano is still working through rehabbing his left biceps even though he returned to play last week playing in a surprising 77 percent. My concern was not with his bicep but rather how his right leg would perform. With how the footing was on Sunday due to the snow, that was not an accurate assessment of his lower body mobility. The true test will be this Sunday when he plays in Los Angeles on the artificial turf.
DE Casey Toohill (Left Knee)
Toohill continues to work through his left knee MCL sprain suffered in Week 9 against the Miami Dolphins. It has only been five weeks since the original injury and MCL sprains typically take this long, if not longer to rehab.
INJURED RESERVE
OT Tylan Grable (Core Muscle Repair)
Grable continues to work back into game shape with full participation every day following his core muscle repair back in Week 3. His return to the roster is a matter of when, not if, but he needs to wait for a roster spot to open first. There should be no decline in performance when he returns other than knocking off some rust.
DT DeWayne Carter (Right Wrist Surgery)
Carter is still practicing in full following his right wrist surgery which was very likely for a scaphoid fracture. He is also waiting on the sidelines for a roster spot to open up which could happen with the release of Quinton Jefferson or Jordan Phillips.
Nick Sabato of the Niagara Gazette reported that Carter had torn a ligament which required the surgery.
Los Angeles Rams Injury Report
QUESTIONABLE
OL Alaric Jackson (Foot)
Jackson appeared to suffer a foot injury in Week 12 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the questionable designation last week, Jackson still played in every offensive snap and I would expect the same thing again this week.
LB Jared Verse (Ankle)
Verse was added to the injury report due to an ankle injury suffered on Thursday and was limited. Sean McVay reported that he tweaked the ankle at practice Thursday but is expected to play.
ACTIVE
WR Demarcus Robinson (Hand)
Robinson suffered a hand injury in the fourth quarter last week but was able to practice in full on Thursday and Friday, suggesting this is a minor issue.
QB Matthew Stafford (Ankle)
Stafford suffered a lateral ankle sprain on Sunday that had him limited during the week but no designation for Sunday. His mobility outside the pocket may be compromised slightly, but he is a veteran quarterback who knows how to adapt.
DE Tyler Davis (Ankle)
Davis popped up on the injury report with an ankle injury this week but has no designation, practicing in full all week.
INJURED RESERVE
OL KT Leveston (Ankle)
Leveston was activated two weeks ago to begin practicing after suffering an ankle injury during the preseason on August 7. He was later placed on injured reserve ahead of roster cut downs where he remained on IR until he was cleared for further activity on November 20. Based on reporting, it sounds like they may activate Leverson this week.
TE Tyler Higbee (Knee)
Higbee suffered a torn ACL and MCL against the Detroit Lions in the playoffs last season and has been slowly working his way back. Head coach Sean McVay already indicated that Higbee is less than likely expected to play on Sunday.
Buffalo Bills Projected Inactives
WR Keon Coleman
TE Quintin Morris
CB Kaiir Elam
DE Javon Solomon
LB Edefuan Ulofoshio
DT Jordan Phillips
OT Tylan Grable
OT Will Clapp (Cut)
LB Nick Morrow (Cut)
Activated: OT Tylan Grable, DT DeWayne Carter
Los Angeles Rams Projected Inactives
QB Stetson Bennett
RB Cody Schrader
LB Brennan Jackson
OL Dylan McMahon
OL Warren McClendon
Final Thoughts
It was mentioned last week how the 49ers were a desperate team and did very little to help their cause. I don’t expect the same results from the Rams who I think have more fight in them as they get healthier. Remember, they started 1-4 and are now 6-6, playing themselves back in with 5-2 record. Injuries were a big contributor to that but this is not bad.
The Bills are fighting for that top playoff seed which means they’re not taking the foot off the gas. Even if the Chiefs slip up and the Bills jump them, the margin for error is still super thin. Every win still counts.
Top Photo Credit: SB Nation
