The Buffalo Bills are ready to kick off against the Denver Broncos as Divisional Round weekend gets underway. The pre-game checks have been checked, and the playsheets have been revised; Now the final inactives are here.
Buffalo enters this game with a heavy-handed injury report, and a stunning lack of available wide receivers. Not mentioned on the report, as they are now all off the active roster and on the injured reserve- Gabriel Davis, Tyrell Shavers, and Joshua Palmer are all unavailable for gameday.
Their WR woes are from their only issue. The Bills are also missing Jordan Poyer at safety, Maxwell Hairston at cornerback, and Ty Johnson at running back. It's a messy playoff run, but it's not over- The Bills remain just two wins shy of a Super Bowl appearance, and anything can happen over those final few weeks.
First, the moves Buffalo made to mitigate the disaster that is their injury report. DT Ed Oliver was activated off the injured reserve, alongside WR Curtis Samuel. Though Samuel was no surprise, hardly injured at all and playing a position the Bills had grown desperately short at, Ed Oliver was something of a shock. Fans had no real expectations of seeing the defensive tackle before Super Bowl Sunday, if at all this season. He'll be playing on a snap count, but he will be active.
Practice Squad Callups
Buffalo's reinforcements from the injured reserve wouldn't be enough to plug every hole. To help placate some of their positional weaknesses, the Bills have called up two players from the practice squad:
- WR Mecole Hardman Jr.
- RB Frank Gore Jr.
Though fellow practice squad WR Kristian Wilkerson fits the archetype and role abandoned by the Bills' three injured reserve-bound receivers, it was Mecole Hardman Jr. who got the nod. Hardman was solid in his limited action this season, and Buffalo can use him to stretch the field and provide them the mismatches inside that they seek.
Frank Gore Jr. was elevated as an insurance policy for RB Ty Johnson, who entered the weekend with a 'Questionable' designation. Both are capable blockers who contribute on special teams, third downs, and short-yardage situations.
Final Inactives for Gameday
With the rest of the roster covered, the Buffalo Bills inactive players against the Denver Broncos are as follows, per the Bills' PR team:
- CB Maxwell Hairston
- S Jordan Poyer
- RB Ty Johnson
- LB Terrel Bernard
- OL Tylan Grable
- DT Phidarian Mathis
- TE Keleki Latu
Inactives Breakdown
Phidarian Mathis is inactive today, making room for Ed Oliver's triumphant return. Frank Gore Jr. will be filling in for Ty Johnson, and Keleki Latu remains inactive to allow Curtis Samuel to contribute.