As Buffalo’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday inches closer, the probability of wide receiver John Brown playing decreases.
The Buffalo Bills didn’t practice on Thanksgiving, but the former third-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals was listed as a “DNP” on Buffalo’s injury report on Thursday.
It’s the second time Brown has received that designation this week after suffering an ankle injury against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10.
Brown caught six passes for 72 yards against the Cardinals before coming down awkwardly on his right ankle after making a crucial third-down catch late in the game. The catch was called back due to a holding penalty.
The Buffalo Bills wide receiver has been in and out of the lineup this season with knee and calf injuries and missed games against the Tennessee Titans and New York Jets.
Although he hasn’t topped 100 receiving yards in a game this season, Brown has caught 29 passes for 386 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his touchdowns came in the first two weeks of the season and he’s also averaged 13.3 yards per catch and 48.3 yards per game.
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Other Injury News from the Buffalo Bills
Since the beginning of the season, the Bills have been trying to get their offensive line fully healthy.
They came close to doing so against the New England Patriots earlier this season as Jon Feliciano returned from a pectoral injury that he suffered in training camp. But, Cody Ford missed the matchup with a knee injury that he suffered against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The former Oklahoma Sooner also went down with an ankle injury against the Seattle Seahawks two weeks later and has been out ever since. He was listed as questionable leading into the Arizona Cardinals game and did not end up playing.
On Thursday’s injury report, Ford was listed as limited for the second straight day.
Having Ford return to the starting lineup would be big for the Bills as they are set to deal with a Chargers defensive front that is strong, quick, and can get to the opposing quarterback in a hurry.
If Ford can go on Sunday, the Bills will have a full offensive line for the first time this season, which will be crucial to their success moving forward.
Most importantly, the Bills are still attempting to jump-start their running game, and having a fully healthy offensive line will contribute to that challenge greatly.
Jerry Hughes Returns to Full Participation
After being listed as “limited” on Wednesday, the Bills must have felt strong enough about Jerry Hughes’ health to upgrade him to “Full” on Thursday even though they didn’t practice.
Hughes was placed on the injury report on Wednesday with a “back” designation.
The Bills also received more good news this week as defensive end AJ Epenesa (concussion), running back Taiwan Jones (hamstring), tight end Dawson Knox (hamstring), and cornerback Josh Norman (illness) were all listed as full participants both on Wednesday and Thursday.
Norman missed Buffalo’s Arizona Cardinals matchup after being placed on the Reserve/Covid-19 list. Having him back in the mix will be big for the Bills down the stretch run as they look to put their entire secondary on the field for the first time this season.
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