The Buffalo Bills’ injury report on Thursday is full of mixed feelings. While plenty of names show up on it, there are plenty of notable updates worth tracking before the Bills fly to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Seahawks.
On the negative side of things, and probably most notably, Terrel Bernard logged a “Did Not Practice” for the second straight day, putting his status for Sunday very much in jeopardy. On the positive side, everyone else except for Curtis Samuel improved their status.
Bernard is beyond crucial to what this defense does, especially against the run. Last week against Tennessee, Bernard had six tackles and a whopping five stops. His ability to diagnose a play, fly downhill, and stop it before it gets going is instrumental to what this team does. Going against a Seahawks team with a great duo of running backs, Bernard’s absence would be a big blow.
There has only been one instance this season of a Bills player missing the first two practices and then playing in that week’s game, and that wide receiver Khalil Shakir before the Jets game two weeks ago. Shakir played, but in a very limited capacity.
We know Bernard is tough and will do everything he can to get on the field, but it’s not looking promising that he’ll be able to play. In Week 3, with Bernard off the field, Baylon Spector saw most of the snaps at MLB, which was less than inspiring. Buffalo will have a hard time replicating what Bernard can bring to the field if he isn’t able to play.