Buffalo Rumblings
On Wednesday, the Buffalo Bills held their first practice of Week 8. It’s been 10 days since the Bills practiced and nine since they played football, yet the daily injury report is still a lengthy one.
The good news is that this year’s first-round draft pick, cornerback Maxwell Hairston, practiced for the first time since July. The Bills opened Hairston’s 21-day practice window, and he was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice. It’s almost certain he won’t play this Sunday in Carolina, but it’s quite possible that we will see him on the field in early November.
Other good news for Buffalo’s defense is that linebacker Matt Milano was able to practice, although limited, on Wednesday. In Week 5, Milano aggravated a pectoral injury he had been previously dealing with. The setback kept him out of the Monday night game in Atlanta for Week 6 and had many wondering why the Bills didn’t place him on Injured Reserve (IR). However, it looks like the injury isn’t as severe as it could have been and maybe Buffalo just brought him back a week too early.
Unideal news is that despite not playing in that Week 6 game and having another week of rest thanks to the bye, neither tight end Dalton Kincaid or wide receiver Curtis Samuel have healed. While both were limited on Wednesday, it’s not great news that the two pass catchers are still not up to full strength.
The questionable nature around the availability of either Kincaid or Samuel is magnified by the fact that wide receiver Joshua Palmer was not able to practice due to a knee and ankle injury he suffered in Atlanta. The good news is that with plenty of time to evaluate him, Buffalo did not send Palmer to IR. However, one – or preferably more – of these three needs to be available on Sunday, and Palmer isn’t going to be the one.
Also not practicing on Wednesday were safety Taylor Rapp, who head coach Sean McDermott said has been dealing with a knee injury since training camp, and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones who injured his calf during pregame warm-ups in Week 6. If Rapp is out, it’s likely going to be another game for veteran safety Jordan Poyer.
The defensive tackle situation isn’t as clear. If Jones can’t go, the Bills will have to decide whether to use Jordan Phillips’ third and final elevation from the practice squad, or instead bring Phidarian Mathis up for the second time this season. Of course, they could do neither and just go with three defensive tackles on Sunday as Larry Ogunjobi is back on the active roster after serving his six-game suspension.
Linebacker Terrel Bernard was also limited on Wednesday. The Bills’ defensive captain injured an ankle the last week in Atlanta. He returned to play after the original injury. That news, combined with him practicing in some capacity now, would indicate that they may just be limiting him out of caution and...
