Wide receiver Cole Beasley has been a big asset for the Buffalo Bills receiving corps this season, but head coach Sean McDermott delivered some concerning news about the veteran wideout on Tuesday.
Beasley was seen hobbling off the field late in the fourth quarter of their 38-9 win over the New England Patriots on Monday night and McDermott confirmed on Tuesday that Beasley would be week-to-week moving forward. McDermott said he didn’t have too many specifics as of yet during his video conference call.
Luckily for Beasley and the Bills, he may not be needed heading into their final matchup of the season with the Miami Dolphins. With their AFC East title locked up and at least a first-round home playoff game secured, the Bills are basically playing for seeding at this point.
A win against the Dolphins would improve Buffalo’s chances of locking up the No. 2 seed in the AFC and ultimately earning another home playoff game. A loss could push them into the No. 3 seed.
Sean McDermott Keeping Week 17 Plans Hush
Earlier on Tuesday, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin announced that starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would sit out their Week 17 matchup and backup Mason Rudolph would start.
The Steelers currently own the No. 3 seed in the AFC and are set to take on the Cleveland Browns, who need a win to earn a spot in the AFC playoffs. While Tomlin announced his intentions, McDermott has elected to keep the team’s plan in-house for several different reasons.
“At the end of the day it all comes back to making sure we’re doing right by our team,” McDermott said during his video conference call on Tuesday. “The best thing for us, and I’m sure Mike is doing the same thing for his team, but we’re always trying to way every variable in the equation and trying to make a good decision.”
After the Bills locked up their AFC Wild Card playoff berth last season, the Bills allowed some of their starters to play a drive or two in their regular season finale against the New York Jets. McDermott added that while each team is different in how they handle the situation, each year is different as well so they may not handle this year the same way they did last year.
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John Brown’s Return Is on the Horizon
With Beasley being week-to-week, wide receiver John Brown’s return may be more important heading into the weekend.
Brown was activated off the injured reserve list on Monday but was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list almost immediately after he was deemed a close contact to running back TJ Yeldon, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.
The veteran wide receiver’s return is imminent and McDermott said that he has been itching to get back on the field. The team is going to play the situation by ear and honor the league’s health and safety protocols.
“It would be good to get him back,” McDermott said in his video conference call. “He’s been chomping at the bit to get back out there with his teammates and I thought he had a good week last week. The sooner the better though. We just want to take it one day at a time and make sure we’re following the proper protocols.
Bills Bring In Free Agent WR for Visit
With the injury to Beasley and the recent release of wide receiver Jake Kumerow, the Bills were looking to bolster their depth early this week. According to the NFL’s official transaction report,Buffalo brought in free agent wide receiver Gary Jennings for a visit.
Jennings was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft but was cut just a few months later in November. A West Virginia product, Jennings also spent time with the Dolphins but has only played in one NFL game to date.
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Sean McDermott Delivers Disappointing News About Cole Beasley