Many Buffalo Bills backup players have already stepped up in 2024, but Week 5 may truly test the quality of head coach Sean McDermott’s 53-man roster. Three important names were ruled out for Buffalo’s Week 5 showdown with the AFC South-leading Houston Texans.
Safety Taylor Rapp (concussion), defensive lineman Ed Oliver, and leading wide receiver Khalil Shakir will miss an important game with the Texans. Oliver (hamstring) and Shakir (ankle) left Thursday’s practice with new ailments. Defensive tackle Austin Johnson will miss the game with an oblique injury. The latest losses further the early-season trend of Buffalo losing key pieces along the way.
The Bills defense has already been hit hard by the injury bug. Starting defensive back, Taron Johnson has missed most of 2024 with a forearm injury suffered in Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals. Linebacker Terrel Bernard strained a pectoral muscle in Week 2. Both are currently listed as questionable and could return to bolster a defense that needs reinforcements.
The importance of each player’s role became even more important to a defense that lost Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer in free agency. Matt Milano and Von Miller joined the list of important Bills defenders lost for various reasons this season. Milano suffered a torn biceps in the preseason but hasn’t been placed on injured reserve. He could be back in 2024 but can’t help Buffalo in Week 5.
Miller will miss the next four games after he was suspended earlier this week for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Miller only played limited snaps in the first four weeks, subbing in and out of the lineup during opportune calls to rush opposing quarterbacks. He still notched three sacks to tie Greg Rousseau for the team lead.
Key Injuries Forcing Buffalo Bills Backups to Step Up in Week 5
Bad Moon Rising in Houston
The offense also lost a key piece for its pivotal showdown against the Houston Texans. Leading receiver Shakir has been quarterback Josh Allen‘s favorite target in 2024. The 2022 fifth-round pick caught two touchdowns but leads the Bills with 18 receptions for 230 yards. That’s 100 yards more than Buffalo’s second-leading receiver, tight end Dalton Kincaid (132 yards).
Losing Shakir for a pivotal game forces rookie receiver Keon Coleman to step up. Coleman provides Allen with more of a deep option in the passing game. He’s also a jump ball threat who could eventually be a dangerous red zone threat for the Bills if other receivers can’t fill that role.
Along with Coleman, Mack Hollins, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Curtis Samuel must step up in Houston. Kincaid and Dawson Knox could also eat up targets to make up for Shakir’s loss. Buffalo’s success lies in utilizing nearly all of its weapons since it can no longer rely on one Superstar like Stefon Diggs.
Testing 2024 Draft picks
Since more defensive pieces will miss Buffalo’s game in Houston, the pressure to perform falls into the lap of several 2024 draft selections. Rapp’s concussion issues force rookie safety Cole Bishop into more action. Houston is one of the league’s top passing teams. The three-headed monster of Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Diggs routinely puts NFL defenses to the test.
Bishop has seen time in three games this season, notching eight tackles. He’ll get more meaningful snaps this week, as will defensive line picks Javon Solomon and DeWayne Carter. Losing key pieces like Oliver and Miller in the same week necessitates someone filling the gap in the lineup and on the field.
Both rookies have seen limited snaps but will assuredly see an increase against Houston. Should any of Bishop, Solomon, and Carter show flashes in Week 5, it could provide hope for the rest of the season. If not, GM Brandon Beane’s 2024 draft process will be called into question.
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