The Bills will have some help back in the lineup for Sunday’s AFC showdown with the Ravens.
Buffalo announced its Week 8 inactives with two notable names missing from the list: wide receiver DJ Moore and defensive lineman Ed Oliver. Both had been sidelined since the New England game, Moore with a shoulder injury and Oliver with a knee injury, and both are expected to be full go against Baltimore.
That’s a welcome boost for a Bills team trying to get to 6-1 and hold onto the top spot in the AFC. It also reshapes the rest of the game-day picture, because Buffalo is still missing seven players for the matchup.
The inactives are WR Skyler Bell, CB Dee Alford, S Jalon Kilgore, LB Mike Danna, G Ar’maj Reed-Adams, T Spencer Brown, and DL Greg Gaines. Danna, Kilgore, Bell, and Reed-Adams did not carry injury designations, but they still won’t dress.
Brown’s absence is the one that stands out among that group. He spent the week dealing with back issues, and early in the week said it was about managing the pain and that the coaching staff trusted him to know if he could play or not. Even after being limited Friday, he didn’t get to the point where Buffalo felt he could be effective against a tough Ravens defensive front.
The active roster also opens the door for all three Saturday call-ups to suit up: defensive back Te’Cory Couch, safety Geno Stone, and cornerback A.J. Woods. How much they’re used will likely depend on how the game plays out.
Kilgore’s absence could mean a bigger role for Stone and Couch than originally expected. With Bell scratched, Moore should be a major part of the offense and is expected to play his full workload.
Buffalo also got good news on tight end Dalton Kincaid. He was questionable with a chest injury and wore a red non-contact jersey all week, but he’s active and expected to have no restraints.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS Sports, with Ian Eagle and Ross Tucker on the call.
In Other News...
Josh Allen Just Added Another Massive Mark To Bills History
Josh Allen keeps adding to a Bills record book that already has his name all over it, and the latest milestone came against the Ravens. With another touchdown pass, Allen moved past Jim Kelly for Buffalos franchise lead in combined regular-season and postseason touchdown passes, reaching 259 and doing it in fewer games than the Hall of Fame quarterback.
The bigger picture for Buffalo is that this is not just a ceremonial marker. Kelly still owns the teams regular-season touchdown pass record, and Allen is close enough to make that next chase feel very real as the season continues. For a quarterback who has already reshaped the franchises modern era, this is another reminder that the Bills history is still being rewritten in real time. [Read more 🡒]
Ed Oliver Revealed What Helped Him Through A Brutal Offseason
Ed Oliver was back on the field for the Bills in Week 8 against the Ravens after missing a month with a knee injury, but the return carried more than the usual weight of a midseason comeback. After the game, Oliver talked about how much the defensive line room meant to him during a brutal stretch away from football, when simply getting through the day was the bigger challenge.
The Bills have leaned on Oliver as a difference-maker up front, and his presence matters even more when the season starts to tighten. What stood out most from his postgame remarks was the way he pointed to the people around him, a reminder that sometimes the most important support in an NFL locker room has nothing to do with scheme or snaps, and everything to do with getting a teammate through the hardest part of his life. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Passing Game Hinges On One Crucial Week 8 Receiver Call
D.J. Moores status has become one of the key Week 8 questions for Buffalo as the Bills prepare to face the Ravens. The receiver has been limited in practice while wearing a non-contact jersey, a sign the team is still managing the shoulder injury that has already kept him out the past two games after he first hurt it in Week 2 and then aggravated it in Week 4.
For a passing game looking to get back on track, Moores availability matters well beyond the injury report. Buffalo will not have a final answer until the inactive list is released before kickoff, leaving one more layer of uncertainty around whether he can suit up against Baltimore or whether the Bills will have to adjust again without him. [Read more 🡒]