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Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas.
The Buffalo Bills are still trying to climb their way back to the top of the AFC East after a stunning loss to the New England Patriots, and will get a big chance to make a big move against a banged-up Miami Dolphins squad.
The Bills travel to Miami to face their division rival on Sunday, looking to sweep the season series for the third consecutive year. The Dolphins will likely be without former Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas, who was listed as doubtful on the final injury report on Friday.
Dolphins Don’t Expect Douglas to Play
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel gave an update on the status of Douglas, saying the team doesn’t expect his foot and ankle injury to heal in time for Sunday’s game against the Bills.
“I’m preparing as though [Douglas won’t play] but not shutting the door because of how he’s really attacked – he’s left zero question as to how bad he wants to play in this game to his teammates,” McDaniel said, via USA Today’s Dolphins Wire. “He’s done everything he can and I know he’ll continue to, so I will leave open the possibility, but I’m preparing for him not to.”
Douglas was a mainstay in Buffalo’s secondary since joining the team at the 2023 trade deadline, starting 23 games and making 87 total tackles with four interceptions in a season and a half. He signed with the Dolphins this offseason and has appeared in nine games with seven starts, making 36 tackles with one sack.
The Dolphins have already ruled out wide receiver Dee Eskridge and listed linebacker Chop Robinson as doubtful. McDaniel said Robinson is working his way through concussion protocol, but the team doesn’t believe he will be ready in time to face the Bills.
“I think it’s important for me to apply the same (as) Rasul where I’m prepared for him not to play but not ruling it out, letting the [concussion protocol] process fully be completed,” McDaniel said. “I think the timing and where we’re at, I’m just prepared for him not to.”
Bills Suffering Their Own Injuries
The Bills have taken some hits to their defense as well, losing defensive tackle Ed Oliver and edge rusher Michael Hoecht in successive weeks.
The Bills have more injuries this week, ruling out defensive end A.J. Epenesa with a concussion and linebacker Shaq Thompson with a hamstring injury. The Bills also have four players listed as questionable — cornerback Christian Benford and Taron Johnson, defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, and wide receiver Joshua Palmer.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said the team is baffled by the uptick in soft tissue injuries and looking into whether there’s a bigger issue at play.
“We thoroughly vet it. If we knew exactly, it would get stopped in the medical department,” McDermott said, via Syracuse.com. “But it goes beyond that department and scheduling, looking at everything that way. The sports science department is involved in just about 80-90% of scheduling that we lay out there. When it’s happening early in practice, the individual period in particular, there’s no physical contact in those periods. So it’s more soft tissue, which is even more of a head scratcher and concern. What do you do? Do you not practice?”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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