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Head coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills.
The Buffalo Bills are heading into another crucial late-season matchup on Sunday, with Josh Allen and company playing host to the resurgent Cincinnati Bengals, with superstar quarterback Joe Burrow leading the way.
Even though the Bills are sporting a record of 8-4 coming into this matchup with Burrow’s Bengals, the team needs to record as many wins as it can over the course of the final five regular-season contests.
That said, there’s little margin for error moving forward, meaning this Bills team needs to be as healthy as possible on both sides of the football from here on out.
Crucial Injury Updates for Bills Ahead of Week 14
GettyJoey Bosa #97 of the Buffalo Bills.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, there were a few notable players who were unable to practice on Wednesday, namely, star defensive end Joey Bosa, who continues to try to work his way back on the field after going down with a hamstring injury in last week’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
All signs point to Bosa missing Sunday’s game against the Bengals at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, which is a costly blow to the team’s chances of putting pressure on Burrow during this Week 14 matchup at home.
Dealing with hamstring injuries can be particularly challenging, especially for players with extensive mileage and a history of injuries, such as Bosa.
That said, the team won’t be rushing him back from this injury, which led to a move the team made on Tuesday to address Bosa’s absence.
Bills Bring in Help at Defensive End After Joey Bosa Injury
GettyGeneral manager Brandon Beane of the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills signed 27-year-old defensive end Andre Jones Jr. to the team’s practice squad earlier this week, according to the Bills’ PR.
Obviously, there’s no replacing Bosa, as he is one of the best pass rushers in the league, but having Jones as an option, along with Javon Solomon, may help shoulder the load in the meantime, as Bosa could miss next week’s matchup against the division rival New England Patriots as well.
Buffalo also made a potentially game-changing move for the defense on Wednesday by claiming one-time All-Pro cornerback Darius Slay off waivers. Although Slay isn’t the dominant force he once was, he should provide a boost in the secondary for the rest of the 2025 campaign as a solid addition to the defense.
Along with a potentially tough matchup against the Bengals in Buffalo, the Bills have a few other games in the final five that could present some challenges. The Patriots will perhaps pose the toughest regular-season game left on the schedule, with Drake Maye and company winning 10 straight games heading into Week 14, with one win over the Bills in Week 5.
Following the matchup against the Patriots next week, the Bills will take on the Cleveland Browns (Week 16), Philadelphia Eagles (Week 17) and finish out the regular season with a matchup against the division rival New York Jets (Week 18).
It’ll be interesting to see how the Bills handle this final stretch and whether the team will be playoff-bound when it is all said and done.
