Buffalo Bills Injury Report: Week 9 vs Minnesota Vikings
The Buffalo Bills Injury Report heads into Week 9 with a heavyweight Monday Night Football matchup in Minnesota, as the 6-1 Bills take on the 6-1 Vikings. Minnesota will be without starting quarterback Kyler Murray, who is sidelined with a hamstring injury. You’d think with those short strides, he’d have less ground to cover before pulling something! Meanwhile, Josh Allen continues to hum along at an MVP pace, but keeping him clean could be a challenge. Buffalo brings the NFL’s No. 1 offense into a matchup against the No. 1 defense, with two starting offensive linemen listed as questionable and Spencer Brown returning with a bum back. The Bills have a serious challenge ahead of them, and it starts up front.
The Bills have five players listed as questionable heading into Monday night, although not all five are traditional injury concerns. The group includes offensive tackle Dion Dawkins, offensive guard Alec Anderson, defensive lineman Greg Gaines, defensive back Jordan Hancock (IR), and wide receiver Tyrell Shavers (PUP). Buffalo has also ruled one player out, wide receiver Joshua Palmer. The biggest concern is clearly along the offensive line, where Dawkins and Anderson are both questionable, while Spencer Brown is trying to return from his back injury. That’s a lot of uncertainty up front against the NFL’s top defense.
The Vikings have two players ruled out for Monday night: quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Jauan Jennings. Three others are listed as questionable, including backup defensive backs Theo Jackson and Jay Ward, along with backup running back Demond Claiborne. Minnesota also has a couple of notable names on injured reserve, including starting offensive guard Donovan Jackson and TE2 Josh Oliver. The biggest storyline remains the loss of Murray, but the Vikings have some depth concerns of their own heading into this matchup.
OUT
Joshua Palmer, WR | Hamstring
Palmer pulled his hamstring last week against the Ravens, managing just seven snaps before being knocked out of the game. He’s been ruled out for Monday night and should be expected to miss at least the next few weeks. NFL players miss an average of 2.4 weeks with a hamstring injury, so this isn’t likely to be a one-game absence. Palmer has already missed one game earlier this season and looks destined to miss a few more before making his return. Not exactly the kind of depth the Bills need to lose heading into a tough stretch.
QUESTIONABLE
Dion Dawkins, OT | Ribs
Dawkins finished last week’s game without missing any starting reps, but showed up on the injury report this week with a rib injury. He’s missed every practice, which is obviously concerning. He hasn’t officially been ruled out, but all signs point toward him having a tough time getting on the field Monday night. That’s a massive blow against the NFL’s No. 1 defense.
It’s relatively uncommon to see an offensive lineman miss time with a rib injury, but the recovery depends on what he’s dealing with. A bruised rib typically takes 1-2 weeks, while a fracture can take 2-4 weeks. Given that Dawkins finished the game and is apparently still trying to play this week, I’m leaning toward a bad bruise rather than a fracture. Either way, going into Monday without your starting left tackle is a tough way to start the night.
Alec Anderson, OL | Ankle
Anderson missed a few reps last week against the Ravens but was able to return and finish the game. It’s unclear whether he’s dealing with a high or low ankle sprain. The angle on the film makes it tough to tell. He went DNP for the first two practices this week before returning as a limited participant Saturday.
He appears to have a better shot at playing than Dawkins, but it’s still a situation worth monitoring. Having both players on the left side of the offensive line banged up is less than ideal, especially when you’re facing the NFL’s top defense. The Bills could really use some good news up front.
Greg Gaines, DL | Calf
Gaines tweaked his calf during practice last Friday, just before the Ravens game, and was forced to miss the matchup. He went DNP-DNP-Limited this week, showing some progress but not enough to give me much confidence he’ll be ready for Monday night.
He’s not a major contributor in terms of snaps, but he’s a valuable depth piece along the defensive line. I’d expect him to sit this one out, but the progression this week is encouraging. Next week looks like a more realistic target for his return.
Tyrell Shavers, WR | ACL (PUP)
Shavers is now in the second week of his 21-day practice window after being activated from the PUP list. He’s been a full participant all week and looks to be on track for a return to the 53-man roster if needed. With Joshua Palmer ruled out, there’s a potential opportunity here, although the Bills would need to make some roster moves to get him activated.
Wide receivers returning from ACL reconstruction average around 10.9 months before returning to play. Shavers is currently right around 10 months post-op, so he’s actually a touch ahead of that timeline. If the Bills thought he needed significantly more time, you have to wonder why they opened his practice window last week, especially when all their receivers were healthy. Keep an eye on the roster moves tomorrow. Placing Palmer on IR would create an easy path to activate Shavers. The opportunity is there, now we’ll see if Buffalo pulls the trigger.
Jordan Hancock, DB | Hamstring (IR)
Hancock’s 21-day practice window has officially opened as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. He’s now a little over six weeks removed from the strain and was limited throughout the week. From a recovery standpoint, he’s had ample time to get past a typical hamstring strain, so the timing of his return isn’t surprising.
Just like Shavers, though, the biggest hurdle may be roster gymnastics. The Bills need to find a way to open a spot on the 53-man roster if they want to activate him. The practice participation is encouraging, but keep an eye on the roster moves. Being healthy enough to return and having a spot available are two different things.
ALSO LISTED
Spencer Brown, OT | Back
After missing last week’s game against the Ravens, Brown is expected to return Monday night. He progressed from limited to limited to a full participant this week, which is certainly encouraging. But I’ll be honest, that back still feels like a ticking time bomb to me.
We’ve already seen Brown try to play through this issue, only to have it flare up again. Getting him back on the field is great, but I’m not convinced the underlying problem is behind him. Against Minnesota’s defense, the Bills need their offensive line healthy and dependable. I’ll be watching closely to see how Brown holds up, because this is starting to feel like a problem that could resurface at the worst possible time.
DJ Moore, WR | Shoulder
Moore returned last week after missing two games and apparently is dealing with an SC joint injury rather than the AC joint issue we originally suspected. He played a season-high 54 snaps in his return and appears to have held up well. He’s still wearing a red non-contact jersey, but I’m not overly concerned. He looks ready to go.
Keon Coleman, WR | Shoulder
Coleman also spent the week in a red non-contact jersey, and I’m suspecting an AC joint injury. He was limited throughout the week, but that didn’t stop him from logging a season-high 63 snaps last week. The non-contact jersey was simply a precaution to protect that shoulder.
Dalton Kincaid, TE | Chest
Kincaid is still wearing a red non-contact jersey while dealing with a chest injury, originally listed as ribs when he was hurt against the Raiders in Week 6. The Bills were more cautious with him last week, limiting him to a season-low 57% snap share. This week, he progressed from limited to full participation on back-to-back days. That’s encouraging, and hopefully we’ll see him return to his normal workload Monday night.
Dee Alford, CB | Ankle
Alford missed last week’s game against the Ravens with an ankle injury, likely an aggravation of the high ankle sprain he originally suffered in Week 4, which also caused him to miss Week 5. It appears he may have tweaked it during practice last week, ultimately forcing him to sit out against Baltimore.
The good news is that Alford was a full participant throughout the entire practice week and is set to return Monday night. Getting him back should be a welcome boost to the secondary, especially after the ankle issue threatened to linger longer than expected.
The ThighDoctor’s Final Thigh Check 🦵🩺
The biggest concern heading into Monday night is the offensive line. Dion Dawkins looks like a long shot, Alec Anderson is questionable, and Spencer Brown returns with that lingering back issue. Not exactly ideal against the NFL’s top defense.
The good news is Buffalo could get Dee Alford back, while Tyrell Shavers and Jordan Hancock are potential reinforcements if the Bills make the roster moves. The offense needs to protect Josh Allen and take care of the football. This is a tough matchup, and the Bills need all the healthy thighs they can get.
When in doubt, thigh it out!
