The Buffalo Bills take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Week 11 non-conference game that will still have major playoff implications as each team are fighting for their playoff berth’s and seeds. Both teams come in with the same record and coming off a loss.
Both teams will be incredibly motivated to play their best game to not only keep pace in the division but to avoid losing tiebreakers later. Both of the Bills and Buccaneers are led by incredibly talented quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield, respectively, both from the 2018 NFL draft class. Each team has had sustained success over the past several years due to stability at the position and this should lead to exciting back and forth play.
Read below for a full injury analysis for each team and projected inactives.
BUFFALO BILLS INJURY REPORT
OUT
DT Phidarian Mathis (Shoulder)
Mathis only saw 21 snaps during Sunday’s loss and picked up a shoulder/upper body injury that left him unable to practice all week. Looking at film, there aren’t any specific instances where he is shaking out his shoulder or arm, or is slow to get up. His right shoulder did make contact with Landon Jackson, which inadvertently led to his knee injury, but that was early in the first quarter.
He has been ruled out, and with the expected return of TJ Sanders, this creates an inactive spot.
TE Dalton Kincaid (Right Hamstring)
Kincaid will miss his first game after he suffered a right hamstring strain with roughly 10 minutes left in the third quarter on a regular route that saw him come up lame. He was later designated week-to-week, which means he was essentially ruled out for this Sunday. Based on the severity of the injury, I had expected that he would miss at least two games.
Considering the Bills play on a short week on Thursday next week, I don’t see a scenario where Kincaid is ready to go. After that, once he returns to practice, we will get a better idea whether he can return in Week 13.
QUESTIONABLE
CB Taron Johnson (Groin)
After suffering a groin injury in practice the Friday before Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Johnson has sat out the last two games recovering. He was able to get full practices in on Thursday but had a setback that day leaving him limited on Friday.
He is at a “yellow flag” per the team which means his status is up in the air for Sunday. I wrestled with his designation back and forth thinking he could play because he had more time to recover but we don’t know how significant the setback was. Given his age and the need to have him healthy for the playoffs, I’ll lean towards him sitting, especially with the more positive outlook for Cam Lewis.
LB Shaq Thompson (Hamstring)
Thompson is set to return to the field after tweaking his hamstring in practice before Week 9. He has missed the last two games and was on the injury report several times earlier this year for a hamstring issue, once in the preseason and once during Week 2-3, missing a game during that timeframe.
He was limited on Wednesday with full practices on Thursday and Friday but has a questionable designation. He was moving around well during practice this week from what we saw which indicates that he should suit up on Sunday.
DB Cam Lewis (Calf)
Lewis was a surprise addition to the injury report this week with a calf designation. This is notable because he battled a right calf injury during the preseason that limited him at times. It’s not clear whether this is the same side, but he was limited all week and officially questionable. If Johnson had not had his setback, I would expect that Lewis would sit out.
However, Sean McDermott noted that Lewis is trending in the right direction which indicates that he would play on Sunday. I expect him to suit up due to Johnson’s setback.
ACTIVE
WR Joshua Palmer (Left Knee/Left Ankle)
Palmer returned to practice in full on Thursday after missing the last three games and four weeks total after injuring his left knee and ankle against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. He appeared to sustain a left MCL sprain and left high-ankle sprain. He appeared to be close last week before eventually shutting it down to be inactive.
He moved around well this week at practice without any notable limitations, but continues to wear a compression sleeve on the area, indicating the knee is still bothersome. He does not have a designation and his return to the lineup will hopefully help jump-start the offense.
WR Khalil Shakir (Ankle/Ribs)
Shakir was an unexpected addition to the injury report this week with an ankle and rib designation. There are two examples below in the fourth quarter where he appeared to take a shot to his ribs and was slow to get up. Unfortunately, there is no clear instance of when he injured his ankle. He did have the right high-ankle sprain in the preseason that forced him to take nearly a month off, but it’s not clear if this is the same issue.
Considering he did not have a red non-contact jersey on and no designation, he will suit up on Sunday.
CB Christian Benford (Groin)
Benford returned to full participation this week after suffering a groin strain during last Wednesday’s practice and missing Week 10. The team was smart to sit him for last week as this was his second groin injury of the season. He was full all week and has no designation.
LB Terrel Bernard (Right Ankle)
Bernard continues to work through a right ankle injury suffered against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. He has been active every game, but didn’t record a snap in Week 8 as he was active in the event of an emergency.
Despite the weekly improvement from Bernard, he has still been battling something undisclosed dating back to the preseason. He did have a hamstring strain then, but it’s not likely that a hamstring is lingering this long, considering it was from early August.
Bernard hasn’t been on the injury report for anything other than his ankle this season, so whatever it is, he’s gutting it out but not at 100 percent. We may find out after the season what he was dealing with that led to his decline in play.
DE Joey Bosa (Left Wrist)
Bosa has been battling a left wrist injury dating back to at least the Week 8 contest against the Carolina Panthers. He showed up on the injury report last week and wore a club on the area against the Miami Dolphins.
He was able to transition out to a soft cast in practice this week, but its not clear the exact injury. The mechanism of injury wasn’t clear, other than he took some direct shots to the wrist. It’s possible he could have some type of small non-displaced wrist fracture, such as an ulnar styloid process or even the TFCC sprain we saw Amari Cooper deal with last season. The difference with Cooper was that he missed time and had to wear a small cast on the area.
He was able to practice all week with the injury and has no designation heading into Sunday.
DE AJ Epenesa (Concussion)
Epenesa was able to practice in full all week as a full designation after missing Week 10 with a concussion against Kansas City. He appeared to have delayed symptoms with the offending hit potentially being after he drove Patrick Mahomes into the sidelines in the fourth quarter.
He confirmed the delayed symptoms when he came into the facility on Monday and realized he was having a headache and other symptoms causing him to self report.
LB Dorian Williams (Groin)
Williams was limited on Wednesday with a groin designation and upgraded to full on Thursday and Friday. This came after seeing only three snaps on defense and 15 on special teams as he was relegated with Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard taking the starting roles.
DT Jordan Phillips (Right Wrist)
Phillips continues to require regular treatment on his right wrist, the same one he dislocated back during the 2023 season, which required emergency surgery to reduce. He has had the area taped up recently, but has been able to practice in full and has no designation heading into the game.
INJURED RESERVE
DT TJ Sanders (Right Knee)
Sanders is set to make his return to the field after being placed on injured reserve ahead of Week 6 after missing the prior game due to a questionable designation. Once he was placed on injured reserve, it was announced that he underwent knee surgery and did not have a timeline.
For a month, we did not know which knee had surgery and what he had done. Thanks to Nick Sabato of the Niagara Gazette, we found out that he had the same procedure as Alec Anderson in the preseason, described as a cleanup. This was the result of Sanders playing through the injury and feeling the knee tighten up on him, but there was no exact injury at the time.
The way he was moving at practice this week says that he is ready to return and fill some sorely needed depth along the defensive line.
He is officially questionable but with an empty roster spot and full practices all week, I expect he is activated and return to the roster.
S Damar Hamlin (Left Pectoral Tear)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS INJURY REPORT
OUT
LB Markees Watts (Hand)
Watts missed last week due to a hand injury suffered in Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints. He is typically a special teams player, but has also gotten some snaps on defense this season. He was limited Wednesday and Thursday but ruled out ahead of practice on Friday.
LB Haason Reddick (Ankle/Knee)
Reddick has missed the last two games and had a bye week to recover from the knee and ankle injuries originally sustained in the fourth quarter against the Lions in Week 7. Unfortunately, he was unable to practice all week and ruled out on Friday.
WR Chris Godwin (Left Fibula)
Godwin has been battling back this season after suffering a gruesome left ankle fracture and dislocation in Week 7 last year and had been rehabbing all offseason, requiring two surgeries. He was initially on the injury report in Weeks 4 and 5 due to his ankle, but after he injured his fibula, he has been out since Week 6 as Godwin works to return.
Despite practicing in a limited capacity all week, head coach Todd Bowles ruled him out on Friday.
RB Bucky Irving (Left Foot/Left Shoulder)
Irving has been battling shoulder and foot injuries this season, dating back to Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He appeared to suffer a midfoot sprain as he was awkwardly taken down by several defenders. While the foot appeared to be the more pressing initially, the shoulder came into the picture more and became the primary limitator. It’s not clear when he injured the shoulder however. He has missed five games but was not put on injured reserve, indicating that the team thought he could beat the timeline.
The biggest issue for Irving is whether he can take a hit, which is what they were attempting to do in practice this week. It’s not clear the actual injury, but friend Jeff Mueller, a fellow physical therapist, dove deep into this as he covers everything fantasy football. He outlined the possibilities for Irving including several pictures of him in a sling which matches indicating the left shoulder issue.
Whether this is higher grade AC sprain or labral tear according to Jeff, making sure he can take contact suggests there is a pain issue but also potentially stability with ball security. They also don’t want to get him out there and he has an early exit.
Whatever the issue is, Irving was able to practice all week but was ruled out on Friday morning. The Buccaneers are one of the most aggressive teams in playing questionable players at 94 percent this year and over the last few years. So if a guy is close, he plays, if not, he’s out.
ACTIVE
LB Anthony Nelson (lllness)
Nelson missed Thursday’s practice due to illness before returning to a full designation on Friday and being available to play on Sunday.
DT Vita Vea (Back)
Vea was a new addition to the injury report this week with a back injury suffered sometime in the Week 10 loss to the Patriots. He played in 54 total snaps which is roughly in lin with what he plays every week. He was limited all week until Friday and has no designation.
S Antoine Winfield (Foot)
Winfield was a new addition to the injury report with a foot designation but few details are available regarding the extent of the injury. He does not have a designation heading into the game.
Buffalo Bills Projected Inactives
TE Dalton Kincaid
DT Phidarian Mathis
CB Taron Johnson
OL Chase Lundt
WR Curtis Samuel
CB Brandon Codrington
Activated: DT TJ Sanders
Call Up: WR Mecole Hardman
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Projected Inactives
DE Haason Reddick
G Ben Bredeson
RB Bucky Irving
WR Chris Godwin
DT CJ Brewer
Final Thoughts
The current line for the Bills Buccaneers game is -5.5 Bills which means the Bills are a slight favorite heading into the game along with the home field advantage. With the way the weather is expected to be crummy on Sunday, this may play into the Bills favor. However, if the Bills play like they did against the Dolphins, this game could get out of hand quickly and not in a good way.
The Bills have the injury advantage with only their slot cornerback position a true question and will be without Kincaid, but the Buccaneers have been without Reddick, Irving, and Godwin for some time meaning they have adapted without them. As with most games, this will come down to who makes the fewer mistakes and can capitalize on field position and turnovers.
I’m always hoping for an injury free and competitive game, we’ll see how Sunday plays out.
Top Photo Credit: Pro Football Network
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Outstanding in depth analysis from Kyle as always!!