NFL Week 6 Injury Report: Buffalo Bills vs Atlanta Falcons
It’s Monday night in the Dirty South, and the lights will be shining bright at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the Buffalo Bills take on the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. The roof will be open, the energy electric, and the stakes high as Josh Allen and the 4-1 Bills look to rebound after last week’s meltdown to none other than Cardi B’s baby daddy, Stefon Diggs. The Falcons, meanwhile, enter at 2-2 and well-rested after their bye week, looking to defend home turf and make a statement under the national spotlight. While Atlanta comes in relatively healthy, the Bills are hobbling into the matchup with a laundry list of key injuries that could shape the outcome in a major way.
The Buffalo Bills limp into the matchup with injuries continuing to pile up on both sides of the ball. The team added two more names to injured reserve this week, S Damar Hamlin (pectoral) and DT TJ Sanders (knee) — joining CB Max Hairston, CB Dorian Strong and K Tyler Bass on a growing IR list that has further thinned out Buffalo’s depth ahead of Monday Night Football. Linebacker Matt Milano has already been ruled OUT, while TE Dalton Kincaid and WR Curtis Samuel are both listed as QUESTIONABLE as the team continues to manage soft-tissue issues across the roster. As the Buffalo squad looks to bounce back under the primetime lights, depth and durability are quickly becoming as big a storyline as the scoreboard.
The Atlanta Falcons enter the matchup in far better shape on the injury front, carrying only a handful of minor issues to their reserve players. The biggest headline is WR Darnell Mooney, who will miss Monday night’s matchup against Buffalo. Starting NCB Billy Bowman Jr. is listed as QUESTIONABLE, leaving a potential hole in the secondary if he can’t go. On injured reserve, the only starting-caliber loss is RT Kaleb McGary. Overall, the Falcons are one of the healthier teams in the league heading into Monday Night Football, a key advantage as they look to defend their home turf under the lights at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
QUESTIONABLE
TE Dalton Kincaid
Buffalo Bills TE Dalton Kincaid was officially listed with an ‘oblique’ injury’ for Monday Night Football after logging his best statistical performance of the season last week, hauling in a career-high 108 receiving yards. Head coach Sean McDermott initially downplayed any concern, saying Kincaid was simply “sore” and didn’t require an injury designation on Monday.
However, the tight end went on to log limited participation in every practice this week while wearing a red non-contact jersey, suggesting the Bills are taking precautions. In addition to what’s believed to be a mild oblique strain, Kincaid appeared to sustain a minor finger sprain during last week’s game, though neither issue seems overly serious. Typically, mild oblique injuries require 1–2 weeks, but context matters here. Between McDermott’s initial optimism, video showing Kincaid catching passes fluidly in practice, and an upcoming bye week, there’s reason to believe he’ll suit up against the Falcons. Even if on limited snaps, expect Buffalo to deploy him selectively, particularly on third downs and red-zone situations, where his route precision and reliable hands can make a crucial impact.
WR Curtis Samuel
Wide receiver Curtis Samuel was listed with ‘neck/ribs’ after a roller-coaster practice week. Samuel opened Thursday as a limited participant, was downgraded to DNP on Friday, and then returned to limited work on Saturday, leaving his status for Monday Night Football firmly up in the air. It remains unclear whether the injury occurred in last week’s game or sometime during practice, but the timing is unfortunate as he’s coming off one of his most productive outings as a Buffalo Bill, logging his sixth-highest snap share in 17 games with the team and finding the end zone for a touchdown.
Given Samuel’s history of ailments, Buffalo may choose the cautious route here. With Elijah Moore offering a similar skill set and the team’s bye week looming, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Bills opt to rest Samuel and give him additional recovery time. Rib injuries often require 1–3 weeks to fully heal, and while Samuel’s toughness isn’t in question, the smarter play could be keeping him sidelined until Week 8 to ensure he’s back to full speed.
OUT
LB Matt Milano
Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano is once again sidelined after re-aggravating his right pectoral injury in last week’s loss to the New England Patriots. Milano, who originally suffered the injury back in Week 2 against the Jets, had missed two games before returning, but his comeback was short-lived. He exited the midway through the game after appearing to tweak the same pec that’s been nagging him since September. Mentionable, according to a 2021 NFL study, about 45% of pec strains don’t require surgery, and the average return-to-play timeline hovers around 47 days. But not all pec injuries are created equal: recovery can swing dramatically depending on whether it’s a Grade 1 or Grade 2 strain.
The Bills wasted no time shutting Milano down for Week 6, holding him out of practice entirely (DNP all week) and officially ruling him OUT for Monday Night Football in Atlanta. The good news, however, is that the injury isn’t believed to be serious enough to warrant a trip to injured reserve. With the team’s bye week coming up, Milano is set to have roughly three full weeks of recovery time before Buffalo’s next matchup, a timeline that could give him a realistic chance to return in Week 8.
OUT (Injured Reserve)
DT TJ Sanders
Buffalo Bills rookie defensive tackle TJ Sanders has been placed on injured reserve after dealing with a lingering knee issue that forced him to miss last week’s game against the New England Patriots. The team confirmed that Sanders is expected to undergo knee surgery, though head coach Sean McDermott has sounded bullish on his eventual return later this season.
On the bright side for Buffalo, the procedure and rehab timeline appear to be manageable, much like a meniscectomy, which projects Sanders to return for the final quarter of the season. While his absence further thins the defensive line rotation in the short term, the hope is that the rookie will come back healthy and ready to contribute down the stretch.
S Damar Hamlin
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been placed on injured reserve after suffering a pectoral injury during practice earlier this week. While the team has not officially confirmed whether Hamlin will undergo surgery, head coach Sean McDermott was uncertain of a return this season, signaling that the injury is serious enough to require an operation.
Reports suggest that Hamlin’s injury occurred during a routine Wednesday practice, and while details remain scarce, the most optimistic scenarios would still leave him just scratching the surface physically by the time the playoffs arrive.
Also Listed (ACTIVE)
DT Ed Oliver
Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver is set to see his first action since Week 1, returning after a prolonged absence due to an ankle injury that was sustained when he was reportedly stepped on during practice the Wednesday following the season opener. The saga has been one of the strangest on the Bills’ injury report: Oliver looked perfectly healthy just weeks ago, even holding a full press conference, before suddenly appearing in a walking boot the next day and being sidelined for multiple games and practices.
Oliver confirmed in interviews this week that he feels ready to play, though he admits he’s not 100 percent. Last week, video from practice showed him struggling with lateral movement, and a clip — since deleted by WGR’s Sal Capaccio — captured him exclaiming, “That [expletive] hurt like a mother[expletive].” With rookie DT TJ Sanders now on injured reserve, the Bills may have little choice but to lean on Oliver to anchor the middle of the defensive line, even if he’s operating below full strength.
The Rest of the Pack
A few key Bills players remain on the injury report with minor ailments but are expected to suit up for Monday Night Football. Offensive lineman Dion Dawkins is dealing with a thumb issue, while safety Taylor Rapp has been managing a nose injury. Linebacker Dorian Williams, who notably missed last week’s game with a knee injury, is back in the fold and expected to contribute this week. While none of these injuries appear severe, they are worth monitoring, as they could limit snap counts or situational usage in a game that is shaping up to be highly physical.
Feature Image: Photo by Bill Wippert / Buffalo Bills
