It’s a wet and wild showdown at Highmark Stadium this Sunday, where the Buffalo Bills will look to make a splash, both in the playoffs and, hopefully, in the highlight reel.
As they face off against the New York Jets, Buffalo has a lot to play for, especially with the #2 seed and MVP aspirations on the line for Josh Allen. But the weather is playing a role too—expect slippery conditions as heavy rain pummels the field, perhaps inspiring some wet-n-wild drama on and off the field.
You can only hope Hailee Steinfeld, who reportedly will be in attendance, stays dry—but who can blame her if she gets a little drenched?
The Bills come into the matchup with four players listed as QUESTIONABLE, three of whom are safeties. These include S Damar Hamlin, DB Cam Lewis, S Taylor Rapp, and WR Curtis Samuel.
Could this be a sign that the Buffalo defense is about to get a little more loose than usual?
With the postseason just around the corner, they’ll need all hands on deck to lock up that #2 seed and make sure Josh Allen’s MVP case doesn’t get washed away.
As for the Jets, well, the only thing wetter than the field might be their season. With a 4-11 record, they’ve been sputtering toward the finish line. And who could forget the floundering documentary “Enigma”?
Not exactly the cryptic masterpiece Aaron Rodgers intended, but maybe that’s what happens when you mix football with too much ayahuasca.
It’s hard to solve the mystery of this Jets season when the only thing clear is that their playoff hopes are about as likely as Rodgers turning that documentary into an actual success.
For this one, the Jets have a whopping 9 players listed as QUESTIONABLE. These players include WR Davante Adams, S Tony Adams, CB Michael Carter II, CB Sauce Gardner, OL Morgan Moses, DL Hasson Reddick, and DL Quinnen Williams.
With both teams dealing with some wet circumstances, we’re in for a sloppy, unpredictable game. Will the Bills lock up their playoff positioning?
Or will the Jets, once again, find themselves drenched in disappointment? Stay tuned!
QUESTIONABLE
S Taylor Rapp
Taylor Rapp has been on the injury report with neck and/or shoulder injuries the past six weeks. He has missed the last two games, and it appears a collision with Rasul Douglas two weeks ago was the culprit.
Rapp is listed with a ‘neck’ only the past two weeks and has been a limited participant in practice throughout. He is the most likely safety to play this week, as he was the only from the group who was out of the red non-contact jersey on Friday.
S Damar Hamlin
Hamlin was an interesting addition to the injury report two weeks ago because he was added on a Thursday, the day the Bills didn’t practice due to snow, yet he was a full participant the day prior.
He has missed the last two weeks and is still only a limited participant in practice this week with ‘ribs’.
Still seen in a red non-contact jersey at walkthroughs on Friday, Hamlin is not looking fit to return yet. Rib injuries take about 2-4 weeks.
DB Cam Lewis
Lewis has started at safety the past two weeks, in the absence of Rapp and Hamlin, but it is now dealing with a ‘shoulder’ injury.
He played nearly 100% of the snaps last week but may need to nurse his injury this week, as he was limited all week and in a red non-contact throughout the entire week.
He likely has a mild sprain, most common is the AC joint, and they take about 1-2 weeks to recover (1).
WR Curtis Samuel
Samuel has been listed with a ‘rib’ for the past two weeks. He missed last week’s game and was limited at practice all week for the second straight week. He also, was still in a red non-contact jersey on Friday and unlikely to play.
Oddly, he was listed with a shoulder injury during the Lions’ game, but the team listed him with a rib thereafter. Again, ribs generally take 2-4 weeks.
ALSO LISTED
QB Josh Allen
Allen is listed on the injury report this week with a ‘R shoulder/R elbow’. The shoulder injury was not listed last week but he took a rough fall late in the Lions’ game that required an x-ray after the game. This is likely a very minor AC joint sprain of his throwing shoulder.
#Bills #JoshAllen
— Thigh Doctor (@ThighDoctor) December 16, 2024
Right Shoulder injury
Appears to be AC joint, throwing shoulder. Hurt on his last run on game. Only threw one pass after this (deflected dump off) #billsmafia pic.twitter.com/T0squxeEkL
As for the elbow, this was more recent from the Patriots’ game. Allen banged his elbow on an opponent’s helmet which caused him to lose feeling in his hand for 5-10 minutes.
The injury was to his funny bone area, which essentially is compression of his ulnar nerve. Allen has two documented injuries to his elbow’s UCL (Tommy John Ligament), which creates some uneasiness about the overall health of the area.
Regardless, the MVP hopeful was a full participant in practice this week and will be slinging it around in the rain.
CB Rasul Douglas
Rasul Douglas is dealing with a ‘knee’ injury after a tough hit during the Rams’ game three weeks ago. Initially listed with a back issue during the game, Douglas returned to the field for one series before being ruled out due to a knee injury.
It appears he suffered a left MCL sprain, to the same leg he suffered and MCL injury last year. This was on the same play where he injured his back, after safety Taylor Rapp collided with him.
Mild MCL sprains typically require 2-4 weeks of recovery (2). Douglas missed the past two games, but was a full participant all week in practice and will play.
LB Matt Milano
Everybody’s favorite Italian Stallion is getting put through the ringer the past 14 months. After overcoming major knee surgery last year and a bicep tendon repair of the elbow in training camp, Milano was able to play three games.
Unfortunately, he was dealt what appears to be a minor ‘groin’ injury during the Lions’ game and was inactive last week. Minor groin strains take about 1-2 weeks and Milano was able to practice in full on Thursday and Friday. He will be active on Sunday.
TE Dalton Kincaid
Kincaid left the Colts’ game in Week 10 with a ‘PCL’ injury. He missed three games (four weeks due to bye week).
He returned two weeks ago against the Lions and has been wearing a knee brace since. Kincaid played 49% of the snaps against the Lions and only 34% against the Patriots, which is lower than his season average of 65% from Week 1-8. He has been practicing in full the past few weeks, but the limited snaps are alarming yet understandable.
OTHER LISTED PLAYERS
The following players were listed on the injury report, but were full participants the whole week and will play;
OT Spencer Brown (neck)
DT DeWayne Carter (wrist)
P Sam Martin (back)
TE Quintin Morris (shoulder/groin)
DT Jordan Phillips (back)
DE Dawuane Smoot (wrist)
LB Dorian Williams (elbow)
Citation
- Total Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. (n.d.). AC joint separations in the NFL. Retrieved December 14, 2024, from https://www.totalorthosportsmed.com/ac-joint-separations-in-the-nfl/
University of California, San Francisco. (n.d.). MCL tear. UCSF Health. Retrieved December 14, 2024, from https://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/mcl-tear
Featured image Credit: Digital Dev
