Buffalo Rumblings
Benford is in concussion protocol, Rapp is day-to-day, and where did Matt Milano go at the end of the game?
On Monday, after the Buffalo Bills defeated the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 for the right to head west to face the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, head coach Sean McDermott met with members of the media. The first order of business: an injury update.
Safety Taylor Rapp left Sunday’s game with a hip injury. After colliding with Damar Hamlin on a tackle, Rapp went to the blue medical tent and later was seen walking gingerly before boarding a cart for a ride to the locker room right before halftime. Today, McDermott announced that Rapp would be considered day-to-day as he works through the injury — good news as it could have been much worse.
McDermott clarified that it would not be veteran Micah Hyde who sub for Rapp should the Bills’ starting safety not be able to play in Kansas City. Rapp has missed three games this season and left early both times the Bills played the Ravens. Each time he has been inactive, it’s been a combination of rookie Cole Bishop and the versatile Cam Lewis who have filled the vacancy. When Buffalo has needed to elevate a safety, it’s been veteran Kareem Lewis who got the call. Looks like that’s the formula McDermott plans to stick with, if needed.
Also on the list of injuries collected in Buffalo’s Divisional Round win was cornerback Christian Benford. The Bills’ cornerback is now in concussion protocol with McDermott saying that the injury came during the onside kick at the end of the game.
The NFL has a five-step protocol players must pass before returning to play from a concussion. Benford will have to get rest, then advance to light aerobic activity, then add strength training.
Those first three steps can all be accomplished before the Bills have an official practice on Wednesday. If Benford is doing well at that point, he will still need to clear two steps: football activities without contact (so route running, catching, and individual drills) and then be upgraded to full activity before being cleared by an independent neurologist.
As was the case with running back Ray Davis last week, should Benford need an extra day, the Bills are within the league rules to simulate the final step for Benford on Saturday even though the team does not have a full practice on the schedule.
This gives Benford until Sunday morning to work his way into the starting lineup. Expect to see him progress along the same lines of Davis last week with a couple of days of limited practice, a questionable designation, and a decision being made before game time.
The good news is that there wasn’t mention of an injury for Taron Johnson, who did leave the game briefly with a shoulder injury. Johnson returned to play after missing just a few snaps. When asked about Johnson’s injury and availability, McDermott said that...
