The Buffalo Bills have lost Gabe Davis to a torn ACL, but may be getting back another receiver and a key defender ahead of Saturday’s divisional-round tilt against the top-seeded Denver Broncos.
Head coach Sean McDermott announced Davis’ diagnosis on Monday, a day after Davis was carted off the field with the knee injury in Buffalo’s wild-card win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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The Bills also announced Monday that they’ve opened the practice windows for wide receiver Curtis Samuel and defensive tackle Ed Oliver from injured reserve as they prepare for Saturday’s game. Their designations open the door for either or both to play on Saturday.
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Neither Davis nor Samuel played significant roles in Buffalo’s offense this season. Davis tallied 12 catches for 129 yards and 1 touchdown in six games. Samuel posted 7 catches for 81 yards and 1 touchdown in six games, none of them starts. He’s been sidelined since Week 12 with elbow and neck injuries.
Oliver’s return would be big for Bills’ defense
The news of Oliver’s potential return could be the most impactful of the bunch. Ankle and biceps injuries have limited Oliver to just three games this season. Without their starting defensive tackle, the Bills have surrendered 136.2 rushing yards per game, good for 28th in the NFL. A return this week would provide a salve for Buffalo’s beleaguered run defense.
Josh Allen and the Bills face a tough road test against the top-seeded Denver Broncos in the divisional round.
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
The injury news arrives as pressure mounts on quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills to deliver in a postseason that doesn’t feature frequent playoff foil Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
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The Bills failed this season to win the AFC East for the first time since 2019. And they’re entering Saturday’s game with arguably their worst defense in that time frame. But they won 12 games in the regular season and feature Allen, the reigning MVP who many consider the best quarterback in the playoffs.
And without the Chiefs or Ravens in the playoffs, the road to the Super Bowl is viewed by many as wide open, ramping up pressure on Allen to play in and win his first. That may or may not be fair to the sixth-seeded Bills as they hit the road to face the No. 1 seed Broncos and their elite defense.
But it’s the reality Allen faces as he plays in his seventh postseason still in search of a trip to the Super Bowl.
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