Matt

Milano

The good news is that means Terrel Bernard (ankle) will suit up. However, Milano (pectoral), Jones (calf), and Palmer (knee/ankle) will all be held out and try to heal up in time for next week’s game against the Chiefs.

Fellow Bills’ LB Terrel Bernard (ankle) is also questionable, as is rookie CB Maxwell Hairston (knee). DT DaQuan Jones (calf) and S Taylor Rapp (knee) have both been ruled out. The injuries should allow the Panthers to continue running ball efficiently with RBs Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard.

Despite being limited in practice throughout the week, the Bills will opt to play it safe with Kincaid. The third-year tight end would have been coming off one of the best performances of his career (6-108-0) in last week’s loss to the Patriots, but will instead sit this one out in hopes of getting a little extra rest before the Bills’ Week 7 bye. Fantasy managers in need of an emergency option can look for Dawson Knox, who should be available in most leagues. In addition to Kincaid, the Bills also declared WR Curtis Samuel, LB Jimmy Ciarlo, LB Matt Milano, and OT Chase Lundt inactive for Week 6.

No surprise here. Bills coach Sean McDermott called Milano “week-to-week” after the 31-year-old linebacker re-aggravated his pectoral injury in Week 5. Milano missed multiple practices this week so ruling him out for Week 6’s Monday night showdown with the Falcons was an easy call. The Bills have a bye week in Week 7 so Milano will be afforded additional time off before the Bills play the Panthers in Week 8.

Milano would seem like a long shot to suit up this week against the Falcons. He suffered the pec injury in Week 4. Buffalo’s defense remains of the of most injury-marred in the NFL through five weeks, making the Bills vulnerable to a run-heavy Atlanta offense that came to life in Week 4 before the team’s bye week.

That almost assures we won’t see any Milano this week. Milano has just a 34.2 PFF grade while struggling through three games on injury and wasn’t much better last year — he simply hasn’t been the same player he was in 2022 in a long time at this point. The Bills should probably consider an IR stint to just get him as healthy as he can be for a playoff run, so McDermott naturally said that IR is not a consideration at this time.

Ditto DL Ed Oliver (ankle) and OL Spencer Brown (calf) — all three of these players got in limited practices on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday ahead of Sunday night football. We’d tentatively expect them all to play given the fact there were no setbacks. Milano and Oliver have not played since Week 2, while Brown missed Week 4 despite practicing on Friday ahead of the game.

Per head coach Doug McDermott, linebacker Matt Milano is also expected to be limited in practice. The Bills lost both defenders after Week 1. Neither player has practiced since, so even a limited session to open the week is a step in the right direction. At 4-0, the Bills don’t need to rush either player back. Drake Maye and the Patriots will be hoping both players take their time while recovering ahead of their Week 5 date on Sunday night.

The Bills will also be without LB Matt Milano, who will miss a second consecutive game with a pectoral injury. Oliver continues to work his way back from an ankle injury he suffered in Week 1, but the team’s decision not to place him on injured reserve suggests he could have a chance to return in Week 5. Oliver was a DNP all week, so any practice in a limited capacity would be an upgrade for him next week.

Oliver is nursing an ankle injury and Milano is rehabbing a pectoral injury. Their absences thin out the Bills’ interior defense, and Dolphins RB De’Von Achane fared well against this unit last year. He’s primed for another big game here. The Bills’ passing offense will survive Samuel’s absence. He has not yet suited up on game day this season.