The Bills are ready to take on the Minnesota Vikings in their Week 9 “Monday Night Football” matchup, but here are the players who won’t play for Buffalo.
Bills Ruled 6 Out Players
WR Skyler Bell
OT Dion Dawkins
OLB Mike Danna
DL Greg Gaines
Head coach Joe Brady ruled out wide receiver Josh Palmer after Saturday’s practice, as he has been dealing with a hamstring injury that he suffered in Week 8’s matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bills placed Palmer on injured reserve on Monday afternoon, meaning he will miss at least the next four games. Wide receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. and safety Geno Stone were elevated from the practice squad for the game.
Defensive back Jordan Hancock and wide receiver Tyrell Shavers entered the game with questionable tags but didn’t get elevated off injured reserve.
The Bills will miss starting left tackle Dion Dawkins, who is dealing with a rib injury, and starting left guard Alec Anderson, who is dealing with an ankle injury.
Vikings Ruled Out Six Players
QB Kyler Murray
CB Chuck Demmings
DL Caleb Banks
The Vikings ruled out Murray with a grade two hamstring injury earlier in the week ahead of the Bills game, and backup Carson Wentz will get the start.
The Bills Will Be Tested
Wentz has started one game this season, winning against the Chicago Bears. He also played a key role in the Week 1 victory over the Packers after Murray left the game in the first half with an injury. The 6-foot-5 quarterback threw for 133 yards and three touchdowns to secure the win against Green Bay.
The Bills won’t have an easy test against Wentz, as he’s been in the NFL for 11 seasons and has started 100 games.
Wentz was once on track to be an MVP candidate in 2017, when he led the Philadelphia Eagles to an 11-2 record, throwing for 3,296 yards and 33 touchdowns against seven interceptions. However, he suffered a knee injury in December that kept him out for the rest of the season and the playoffs.
The Eagles went on to win the Super Bowl that season with backup quarterback Nick Foles, and they actually beat the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game.
The Vikings need to take advantage of beating an AFC team since they are in a tough conference in the NFC North. As of Monday’s standings, the Vikings are 6-1, but the Chicago Bears are 7-2, with the Detroit Lions at 6-2 and the Green Bay Packers at 6-3. Two bad weeks could end a team’s season in the NFC North, and Minnesota already fell to the Lions last week.
The Bills and Vikings kick off at U.S. Bank Stadium at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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