Buffalo Bills injury list once again ominous as Jordan Poyer, Dawson Knox ruled out vs. Steelers
ORCHARD PARK - Once again, Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott revealed worrisome news on the injury front Friday morning ahead of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium.
Just days after safety Jordan Poyer made two key interceptions that helped the Bills defeat the Ravens 23-20, a day so impressive that he was named AFC defensive player of the week, he was ruled out of Sunday’s game because of the rib injury he suffered while making his second interception.
Also, tight end Dawson Knox won’t play as he is dealing with both foot and hamstring problems, meaning Quintin Morris will probably be the starter and Tommy Sweeney the backup.
We already knew that wide receivers Jake Kumerow (ankle) and Jamison Crowder (ankle) and cornerback Christian Benford (hand) are out. Plus, there has not been tangible movement in the recovery of defensive tackles Ed Oliver (ankle) and Jordan Phillips, who will probably be ruled out.
Bills injury list for Week 5: Players listed as questionable
And two other players are going to be questionable as linebacker Tremaine Edmunds hasn’t practiced this week because of a hamstring injury, and wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie remains in concussion protocol.
The Bills had uncommonly good fortune the previous two years when it came to injuries, but things have certainly taken a turn for the worse in the first five weeks of 2022.
“You want to be able to handle adversity,” McDermott said. “We’re going through it right now, this has been four weeks with the injuries the way they’ve been and it’s not something we can control. The bigger picture is we’re going to play a game Sunday and we have a lot of confidence in the guys that are going to be asked to step into those roles.”
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On the flip side, the Steelers are also dealing with a spate of injuries. First and foremost, superstar edge rusher T.J. Watt remains out with a pectoral issue, and they also have several players who will be questionable for the game including defensive backs Minkah Fitzpatrick, Terrell Edmunds, Cam Sutton, Ahkello Witherspoon and Levi Wallace.
Defensive tackle Cam Heyward and wide receiver Diontae Johnson are also on the injury report, and while the odds are that several of these players will play, some may not.
“We’re going to move forward and we’re going to try to do it with the guys we have, the guys who show up and get them in the best position as possible to give us an opportunity,” said Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin when he was asked by Pittsburgh reporters about the ominous situation for the Steelers defense.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills injury report update for Week 5: Poyer, Knox ruled out
