Buffalo Bills: Will Stephon Gilmore be ready for the regular season?

Will Stephon Gilmore recover in time for the Buffalo Bills home opener?

The Buffalo Bills were deservedly happy, after the performance put forward in the win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However,the 43-19 victory didn’t come without some potential cost.

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In a month of a seemingly endless string on injuries, the Bills can now add Stephon Gilmore to the list. The cornerback was taken to the locker room after suffering an injury, while tackling Markus Wheaton near the endzone.

After being tested for concussion, Gilmore was cleared. However, not so clear is the status of the shoulder injury he suffered on the collision with Wheaton.

In that respect, Rex Ryan didn’t sound particularly convincing, when discussing the 2012 first round draft pick after the game. The Bills head coach said: “Gilmore is gonna be fine, I hope. We need him.”

Certainly, that is an understatement, with Gilmore representing the cornerstone of the Bills secondary. In fact, Ryan has gone as far as referring to him as Buffalo’s version of Darrelle Revis.

Aug 29, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills free safety Aaron Williams (23) is helped from the field after being injured during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Buffalo will already be without Leodis McKelvin for the home opener against the Indianapolis Colts, and they can ill afford to lose anyone else. McKelvin could conceivably miss the first six games of the regular season.

Making the Bills cornerback situation even more precarious, is the performance of Ronald Darby. No one doubts the talents of the 2015 second round draft pick, but the fact remains that he still has a lot to learn.

As if to highlight this, Darby had a nightmare against the Steelers. He was badly beaten on a 63-yard reception by Martavis Bryant, while also being flagged for two pass interference penalties.

The Bills night could have been even more disastrous, after Aaron Williams stayed down for several moments on the following Steelers possession after losing Gilmore. Fortunately, the strong safety was back in action for the very next defensive series.

Next: Rex Ryan continues to joke about quarterback situation

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