Sean McDermott
Brett Carlson/Getty
ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 3: Head Coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills yells during the first quarter against the New England Patriots on December 3, 2017 at New Era Field in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
The Buffalo Bills escaped a week 11 shootout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 44-32 victory, but wins like that don’t come without a price tag. With a short week ahead of their Thursday night matchup against the Houston Texans, the Bills hit the practice field today with four players listed as DNP’s (did not practice) and nine as LP’s (limited participant).
The DNP’s were tight end Dalton Kincaid, defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis, and wide receivers Mecole Hardman and Curtis Samuel.
The LP’s were linebackers Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams, cornerbacks Christian Benford and Taron Johnson, defensive linemen Joey Bosa and Jordan Phillips, wide receiver Joshua Palmer, and safety Jordan Poyer.
Offensive Weapons Continue to Dwindle For Buffalo
With a three wide receivers and a tight end potentially out for the Bills in this short week, Josh Allen will continue to find himself throwing to new faces every week. Allen has thrown to a remarkable 14 different receivers through just 10 games this season.
On the bright side, the perpetually injured receiving core of the Bills hasn’t kept the offense down. Allen targeted 10 different receivers in the Tampa Bay game alone and was able to score 44 points despite none of them having more than four receptions.
It’s rare that you find a receiving core with so much turnover on a good team like Buffalo, but that is a testament to both the skill and versatility of Allen and the offensive scheming by the Bills coaching staff. Allen had a combined 140 passing yards to Tyrell Shavers who had caught more than one pass just twice this season and Gabe Davis, who wasn’t even on the roster two weeks ago.
Still, arguably the biggest loss of the four guys on the injury report is Dalton Kincaid, who affects every aspect of the offensive game: pass catching, run blocking, and pass protection. The Bills sorely missed him this past weekend, although Dawson Knox did an admirable job in his absence.
Bills Set to Battle With Texans on Thursday Night Football
After a thrilling game with emotions running high, the Bills will hop on a flight this week to head to Houston to take on the 5-5 Texans. The Texans have clawed their way back into the playoff picture with wins in three of their last four games despite missing their quarterback C.J. Stroud for the last two.
Houston has one of, if not the best defense in the NFL. They’ve only allowed 163 points against this season and have held their opponents to 18 or fewer points in seven games. This will be the biggest test the Bills will have to overcome if they want to escape Houston with a win.
They’ll be up against a Texans team that will do anything for a win, sitting just one game outside the final wild card spot. All five of their losses this season have been within one possession, so they are no strangers to tight games.
Kickoff in Houston is set for 8:15 p.m. and will be streamed on Amazon Prime.