Bills Get Big Injury Developments Before Lions Showdown

The Buffalo Bills are at risk of missing some key members of the secondary for their showdown with the Detroit Lions on Sunday, but could be getting some good news on another defensive front.

The Bills have three starting defensive backs — safeties Damar Hamlin and Taylor Rapp and cornerback Rasul Douglas — nursing injuries that could put them at risk of missing Sunday’s game. The Bills also moved closer to a return for defensive end Dawuane Smoot and linebacker Baylon Spector, who are both making their way back from stints on injured reserve.

The moves come as the Bills look to make up ground on the AFC-leading Kansas City Chiefs, with little time remaining in the season for a run at the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs.

Bills Face Uncertainty on Defense

Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced this week that the team was opening the 21-day practice window for Smoot and Spector, a first step for them to come off injured reserve.

“Baylon, we’ll open his window, and Smoot as well, today,” McDermott said, via SI.com.

The Bills will have three weeks to decide whether to add Smoot and Spector back to their 53-man roster or else place them on season-ending injured reserve. Spector has been out since the team’s Week 10 win over the Indianapolis Colts, where he suffered a calf injury, while Smoot has dealt with a series of injuries. He missed the first three weeks of the season with a toe injury, then was hurt again in a Week 9 win over the Miami Dolphins.

The Bills could be taking a big hit in their secondary, with Douglas and Rapp not practicing on Wednesday and Hamlin being added to Thursday’s injury report. The team was unable to practice due to a heavy snowstorm that caused parts of Buffalo to be placed under a state of emergency, making it unclear whether any of the three might play on Sunday.

Big Opportunity for Returning Bills Player

If Rapp or Hamlin are unable to play against the Lions, the Bills could turn to a longtime player who returned last week. The Bills announced that veteran safety Micah Hyde had signed to the practice squad.

At the time Hyde signed, McDermott stressed that he wasn’t taking anyone’s job and that the team was happy with its current depth chart.

“Just to set expectations, Micah is in a practice squad role,” McDermott said, via ESPN. “We are fully confident in Taylor Rapp, Damar Hamlin, Cole Bishop, Kareem Jackson. They’ve all been doing a real good job for us in the roles that they are currently in. They’re going to stay in those roles and Micah is in a practice squad role, so good to have him back and his family as well.”

But the injury shakeup this week, with Rapp and Hamlin both uncertain for Sunday’s game, could lead the Bills to elevate Hyde from the practice squad. There are four weeks remaining in the season and the team can elevate the veteran three times, with the number of elevations resetting for the playoffs.