Rasul

Douglas

Douglas left the game with a rib injury late in the third quarter but was able to return before suffering a knee injury on the first drive of the fourth quarter that will likely keep him out for the remainder of the game. Douglas is having a rough afternoon trying to contain Puka Nacua, but he has been good for Buffalo all season and would be a major loss for this secondary if he winds up missing an extended period of time.

The move frees up $2.5 million in cap space for a Buffalo team in desperate need of savings. Douglas was acquired by the Bills at the trade deadline and made an immediate impact. He broke up eight passes and picked off four passes in just nine regular season games with the Bills. Douglas is now entering the final year of his current contract.

Johnson is currently in the concussion protocol but is in its final stages. He has the weekend to clear the protocol and should do so, barring a setback. Fellow cornerback Rasul Douglas, who is dealing with a knee injury, also expressed optimism that he will play. Having both players available would be a big win for the Bills’ defense as they take on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Johnson and Douglas will likely be listed as questionable after practice, but we expect both to suit up.

Douglas, the Bills’ top cornerback, was injured in the first half of Week 18 against the Dolphins and missed the Wild Card Round against the Steelers. Douglas claims that he was ready to play in that game, but the team made the decision to hold him out. Perhaps they felt that another week would make a crucial difference in getting Douglas back on the field, and his ability to practice in some capacity on Wednesday is a good step in that direction. The Bills will need him with fellow corners Taron Johnson and Christian Benford also banged up.

Davis was ruled out well before Monday’s game. There’s a chance he’ll return for next week’s playoff game if the Bills are able to come out with the win, but for now, the Bills will likely pivot to Khalil Shakir to fill the void left by Davis. Frigid temperatures and a snowstorm resulted in this game being pushed to Monday. While snow shouldn’t play a factor here, the temperatures could affect both offenses. Another key absence for the Bills is Rasul Douglas, who didn’t practice all week.

Douglas did not practice at all this week, but the Bills are leaving the light on for him to turn the corner on Saturday or Sunday morning. Acquired from the Packers at the trade deadline, Douglas hit the ground running for the Bills, totaling four interceptions and eight pass breakups in nine games with his new team. Losing him would normally be a big blow to the Buffalo defense, though we don’t expect to see much passing from either team this weekend given the extreme winter storm that’s about to hit Buffalo.

Douglas is facing an uphill battle to get onto the field on Sunday after injuring his knee in the Week 18 win over Miami. He has been a tremendous asset for Buffalo in the second half of the year and his absence would leave their secondary incredibly short-handed. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson (shoulder) was also downgraded from a limited practice on Wednesday to no practice on Thursday. Dodson is already filling in for starter Matt Milano, who fractured his leg in Week 5, so Buffalo’s defense could be even more short-handed in the wild card round against Pittsburgh.

Given that it’s a walkthrough, we don’t want to read too much into it, but Douglas has been an integral part of the Bills’ defense since coming over from the Packers at the trade deadline. He injured his knee in the first half of the Week 18 win over the Dolphins and claimed he could have come back into the game, but fellow CB Dane Jackson told him he had Douglas covered. That should provide optimism that Douglas can suit up on Sunday, but he’ll need to return to practice soon for that optimism to continue.

Douglas has been a solid cornerback opposite Jaire Alexander for the last three seasons. The former third-round pick has tallied PFF coverage grades of 71.5 or higher since 2021, while racking up 10 interceptions along the way. Douglas provides an immediate boost to a Bills secondary that lost Tre’Davious White to a torn Achilles in Week 4, and will be slotted in as a starter as soon as he’s up to speed.

Douglas was owed a $2 million roster bonus that the Packers converted into a signing bonus. The restructure creates $3.3 million in 2023 cap space. Signed to a three-year deal last March, Douglas is under team control through 2024.