Injuries seem to be how football-fate has chosen to test the Buffalo Bills. As such, it should come as no surprise that while preparing to host the Baltimore Ravens in primetime for Sunday Night Football on NBC, the Bills are once again juggling several.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s never ideal to begin the season with an injury list, but that\u2019s life in the NFL. Here\u2019s a first look at what injuries both teams are managing as they finalize game plans for Week 1.<\/p>\n
Bills injuries to monitor this week <\/p>\n
K Tyler Bass (left hip\/groin) CB Christian Benford (groin) DT DeWayne Carter (Achilles) WR Khalil Shakir (ankle) WR Keon Coleman (groin) CB Tre\u2019Davious White (groin) <\/p>\n
While head coach Sean McDermott gave a preview of the Bills\u2019 injuries in his morning press conference, there was one name that appeared at the end of the day that\u2019s caused a lot of stir: Keon Coleman. The second-year wide receiver was listed as limited with a groin injury on Wednesday\u2019s injury report. With McDermott not listing him this morning, and no member of the media who was present for the early portion of practice making mention of Coleman, it is easy to assume that the injury occurred today.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not good news for Buffalo\u2019s offense as we\u2019ve heard all summer how Coleman appears set for a breakout season. We didn\u2019t get much of a look at him during the preseason and now it\u2019s possible we may not get a good look this week either.<\/p>\n
Tyler Bass only played in the final preseason game as he\u2019s been dealing with pelvic soreness for the entire summer. In the first game, it was running back Ray Davis who tested out his kicking skills. Buffalo also had brought in another kicker, rookie Caden Davis, who covered the majority of the kicking duties in both games. The Bills released Caden Davis on August 20. With Bass listed as limited today, it\u2019s likely that the soreness is just something the team is being conservative with and that Bass will be fine on Sunday, but it\u2019s definitely something to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n
Tre\u2019Davious White has been dealing with an injury for almost two weeks now. While it wasn\u2019t originally clear exactly what happened, we are now seeing it listed as a groin injury. That\u2019s not great news for the former All-Pro who missed most of two of the last three seasons due to injuries. However, it\u2019s also not devastating news, and explains why McDermott said that he wasn\u2019t ruling him out for Week 1.<\/p>\n
Christian Benford was limited on Wednesday with what the team now lists as a groin injury. Head coach Sean McDermott had (apparently) misclassified it as a \u201clower leg injury\u201d in his pre-practice press conference.<\/p>\n
Having both starting cornerbacks banged up before the season even begins \u2013 and their first-round draft pick on Injured Reserve (IR) \u2013 definitely isn\u2019t ideal. Hopefully, we see Benford progress over the next two days and he gets some full practice reps in before the end of the week.<\/p>\n
Khalil Shakir missed all of the preseason with a high ankle sprain. Now he\u2019s a full participant at practice ahead of Sunday\u2019s home opener, so that\u2019s one positive on the injury front for the Bills.
DeWayne Carter is heading to IR. It\u2019s just a matter of when the Bills get around to doing the paperwork. Carter tore his Achilles in practice and has already had surgery. He won\u2019t be back until next season, but until the team officially places him on IR, they will have to keep listing him on the daily injury reports.<\/p>\n
CB Maxwell Hairston (knee) OT Tylan Grable DB Wande Owens <\/p>\n
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As for the Baltimore Ravens, they are dealing with a few injuries themselves.<\/p>\n
Ravens players not practicing: <\/p>\n
TE Isaiah Likely (foot) FB Patrick Ricard (soft tissue) <\/p>\n
Isaiah Likely broke his foot at the end of July and hasn\u2019t practiced since. Patrick Ricard hasn\u2019t been able to practice since August 14. While it had been thought that Ricard would begin practicing this week, it appears he still isn\u2019t up to form \u2014 something that could be concerning for the Ravens.<\/p>\n
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With two more days of practice before the Ravens head to Western New York and the Bills get ready to open the Farewell Season at the current Highmark Stadium, there\u2019s plenty of time for the status of injured players to change.<\/p>\n