The Buffalo Bills host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14 with much on the line for each team. For Buffalo, it means the chance to move to 9-4 on the season and getting that much closer to another playoff spot. For Cincinnati, it moves them to 5-8 and keeps their playoff hopes alive after Joe Burrow returned last week to lead them to victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Both teams have had considerable success over the past five seasons with four AFC Championship appearances between the two franchises. The Bengals went to a Super Bowl in that timeframe while the Bills have been more steady, winning five divisional titles and making the playoffs every season.
With the polar opposite records, the advantage should clearly be in the favor of the Bills, but things are much closer than they appear come Sunday.
Read below for a comprehensive analysis of each team’s injury report and projected inactives.
BUFFALO BILLS INJURY REPORT
OUT
DE Joey Bosa (Left Hamstring/Left Wrist)
Bosa is set to miss his first game of the season with a left hamstring strain suffered against the Steelers in Week 13 as seen below.
I know plenty has been said about his injury history but there was no way to prevent this injury considering how his left leg was caught in the turf and he was bent forward. There was no way to prevent this injury other than not playing.
He has been described as week-to-week and it was expected from Monday that he would miss this game. There is a chance the injury could linger into future games, but the team wants to ensure that he is healthy for the playoffs. I could see him miss next week as well, but practice reports will dictate his path to return.
LB Terrel Bernard (Right Elbow)
Bernard will miss his second consecutive game with a right hyperextended elbow suffered in the loss to the Houston Texans due to friendly fire from Matt Milano. We haven’t seen how Bernard has been able to move his elbow since the injury, but the team has kept him on the shelf as he recovers from the injury.
Oftentimes, these types of injuries don’t result in extended missed time as shown by the research, missing on average one game and by previous examples such as Jordan Poyer, Dorian Williams, and Phillip Gaines. Bernard’s extended absence is more likely tied to his previous injuries including his right ankle sprain from Week 6 and his hamstring injury from the preseason.
The team may be hiding behind injury and they showed this earlier this year when Bernard was active in Week 8 but did not play against the Carolina Panthers. He has struggled all year pushing off the right side even prior to the ankle injury. Normally, a player receiving treatment for a body part is listed and he is getting that treatment for the elbow, but his other body parts are still getting some work done whether it be privately or more in a recovery sense that they don’t have to list the issue.
The Bills would be smart to keep him out as long as they need to in order to ensure that he can be healthy for this final stretch of games. This is an injury he could have likely played through, but he would have had a brace on the area and blocking/tackling would have been significantly compromised. His entire right side of the body is generally ineffective right now so to allow him to rehab is best rather than pushing him out there.
DOUBTFUL
WR Joshua Palmer (Left Ankle/Knee)
Palmer continues to battle through his left high-ankle sprain and MCL sprain suffered back in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons. He was able to return to play in Week 11 and had been seeing targets before he aggravated the ankle in practice last Wednesday. He was questionable for Week 13 and ultimately did not suit up.
At this point, we know that high-ankle sprains do linger and aggravating the area did not reset his timeline, but certainly set him back. Whether this was another high-ankle mechanism or another injury such as a low ankle sprain, the fact he is back on the injury report due to his knee is disappointing. This has continued to be a trend in Palmer’s career with production tied to injury. During his time in Los Angeles, he was on the injury report with ill-timed injuries that didn’t cause him extended missed time, but always appeared to prevent him from really taking that next step.
McDermott also noted that he isn’t in a good place which could mean both physically and mentally, but I’ll assume it’s more physical understanding the setbacks he suffered.
The hope was that he could stay healthy here and contribute, but the trend continues. I’d attribute this to more luck than preparation due to how he hurt his ankle and knee. Hopefully he can get healthy and have a strong contribution for the last few weeks and playoffs.
As he is doubtful, less than two percent of doubtful players play league wide and a doubtful player has never played under Sean McDermott.
QUESTIONABLE
TE Dalton Kincaid (Right Hamstring/Left Knee)
Kincaid picked up a left knee injury during practice this week after he had missed the last three games due to a right hamstring strain. He showed up with a left knee brace, telling us that this is the same knee that he suffered his PCL sprain last season.
The knee doesn’t look happy to move when he’s going through his drills in the video above. Considering the knee was aggravated during his rehab from the hamstring says that his PCL is still giving him some level of issues. Sean McDermott confirmed that the injury was from training camp, got better, and then got flared up during his hamstring rehab. McDermott noted it at the 1:07 mark here further saying he’s trying to balance everything right now.
If the knee flared up that much rehabbing from his hamstring, I don’t see how he plays this weekend. It’s unfortunate, but compensation patterns and flare ups do happen. Rehab progression isn’t always linear.
OT Spencer Brown (Right Shoulder)
Brown is officially questionable after missing last week due to a right shoulder injury against the Houston Texans. By video, he appeared to suffer a labrum tear which will cause instability within the joint until it is repaired in the offseason.
He was out at practice on Thursday and Friday getting some work as seen below. Seeing this, I was initially optimistic that he’d go this weekend.
On Friday, McDermott noted that he needed to show he was “functional” in order to play. He looked as though he was moving in the right direction and had a legitimate chance to play considering the injury.
However, we saw at practice on Friday that he did not have a helmet during practice and that Ryan Van Demark was in at right tackle. Whether this is a false flag or Brown isn’t quite ready, I’ll lean towards the latter. If he tried to practice and realize the shoulder was painful or sore or that he couldn’t execute certain blocking techniques, especially when the defensive end is bending the edge, forcing him to put his arm out into horizontal abduction, the shoulder may not have been quite ready yet.
Considering how Van Demark and Alec Anderson played last week, I would sit him down once more to have him be ready for the playoffs.
ACTIVE
OT Dion Dawkins (Concussion)
After missing last week due to a concussion, his second missed game of his career, Dawkins was able to return to practice without a non-contact jersey this week.
He was cleared Friday morning and has no designation heading into Sunday.
DT TJ Sanders (Wrist)
Sanders appeared on the injury report with a wrist designation but able to practice in full all week. There weren’t any specific instances on film from this week but as the season wears on, minor nagging things may become more chronic requiring more attention.
TE Jackson Hawes (Back)
Hawes was a new addition to the injury report this week with a back designation but was able to practice in full all week. He didn’t have much of an injury history coming out of college but hopefully this is an issue that will not linger.
FB Reggie Gilliam (Right Knee)
Gilliam continues to work through a right knee injury after appearing on the injury report last week. He has been wearing a sleeve on his right leg with no additional details. These types of injuries are more notable if they continue to linger or appear later with further problems revealed.
LS Reid Ferguson (Neck)
Making another rare appearance is Reid Ferguson. This is his fourth appearance on the injury report from what I found since he began snapping for the team in 2017. He has not missed a regular season game in his career and has only been on the report for a thumb, elbow, and now neck issue. He only missed one game in the preseason due to a back issue several years ago in which AJ Epenesa was the emergency long snapper.
His injury may be more of a long season issue as there weren’t any instances where he appeared to hit his head or neck against the Steelers.
DE AJ Epenesa (Foot)
Epenesa missed Thursday’s practice with a foot designation after not being on the injury report the prior day.
On Friday, he was able to practice in full and there wasn’t really any information as to why he missed. This is something to bookmark and see if it pops up again later this season.
CINCINNATI BENGALS INJURY REPORT
OUT
DE Trey Hendrickson (Right Hip/Pelvis)
Hendrickson has been out since suffering a right hip/back injury in Week 6, missing one game, before returning in Week 8 and injuring the hip further against the New York Jets. He has been with the athletic training staff since then and is not expected to play on Sunday.
This latest back issue is just another instance of the back and neck issues that have affected Hendrickson throughout his career. I had done a deep dive into his injury history in the offseason which showed all the instances throughout his career.
However, it’s been reported that he is dealing with a core muscle injury that will eventually require surgery in the offseason. Fortunately for the Bills, he will be out this game.
ACTIVE
WR Tee Higgins (Concussion)
Higgins is set to return to play this Sunday after missing last week’s game on Thanksgiving due to the concussion as noted above. He was limited Wednesday before getting full practices in Thursday and Friday.
RB Tahj Brooks (Concussion)
Brooks is set to return after suffering a concussion after the kickoff on the second half of the loss to the New England Patriots in Week 12. He missed last week as it was a short week on Thanksgiving but was able to get full practices in Thursday and Friday. He has gotten most of his snaps on special teams, occasionally seeing snaps on offense.
WR Jermaine Burton (Ankle)
Burton has been a healthy scratch all season but appeared to suffer an ankle injury and had him not practice the Friday before Week 13. He was able to practice in full all week and has no designation heading into Sunday.
DE Cam Sample (Right Oblique)
Sample has missed the last two games since suffering a right oblique injury in Week 11 sometime during the second half. He was able to get full practices in all week and has no designation.
RB Chase Brown (Calf)
Brown was a new addition to the injury report this week with a calf designation but was able to practice in full this week. This will be something to note should he aggravate the injury in the cold weather and have an early exit.
INJURED RESERVE
LB Shaka Heyward (Fibula)
Heyward returned to practice this week after being on injured reserve since October 28 due to a fibula injury, specifically a hairline fracture. In order to play, he would need to be activated back to the roster.
He is currently doubtful and I don’t expect him to play this week.
Update: He has been downgraded to out.
Buffalo Bills Projected Inactives
LB Terrel Bernard
WR Joshua Palmer
DE Joey Bosa
OT Spencer Brown
TE Dalton Kincaid
S Darnell Savage
DT Phidarian Mathis
Call Up: DE Morgan Fox, LB Baylon Spector
Cincinnati Bengals Projected Inactives
DE Trey Hendrickson
WR Jermaine Burton
QB Jake Browning
TE Cam Grandy
CB Marco Wilson
Final Thoughts
The Bengals may be the NFL’s scariest 4-8 team right now. You got Joe Burrow coming off a turf toe injury that required surgery, he has a solid running back in Chase Brown, and two elite wide receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Joe Burrow is “that dude” and when he’s healthy, the Bengals always have a legit chance to win.
The Bills do have Josh Allen, enough said. But with a leaky run defense, several key injuries in Brown, Kincaid, and Bosa, that certainly levels the playing field. If I’m the Bills, I am working to protect Josh Allen as much as possible and their job will be that much easier this week without Trey Hendrickson and Shemar Stewart as they deal with their respective injuries. Defensively, I am making Joe Burrow move as much as possible in that pocket. Not even worried about sacks, he just needs to be moving and putting pressure through that surgically repaired left toe, making him run, and forcing him to throw deep. As the game wears on, the toe will hopefully begin to become sore and he may lose the ability to step into his throws or buy time for his receivers to get open.
Even without Bosa, the Bills can still make this happen. This game could be a shootout considering the quarterbacks and the quality of each defense, but this has the makings to be a solid game.
I’m hoping for a great game with no new injuries.
Top Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Discover more from Banged Up Bills
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
