The Buffalo Bills are walking into Week 8 with plenty on the line, and the inactive list tells the story of a team that’s getting some reinforcements while still managing a few notable absences.
Buffalo can push to 6-1 with a win over the Baltimore Ravens, a result that would help them keep their edge over the New England Patriots in the AFC East. A loss, though, would slow them down in more ways than one, leaving them behind New England and Kansas City in the chase for the AFC’s top overall seed.
Baltimore’s situation is just as sharp. The Ravens come in at 4-3 and sitting fourth in a surprisingly strong AFC North.
A victory would move them to 5-3 and keep them firmly in the mix. A defeat would drop them to 4-4 and, depending on other AFC results, could leave them in a rough spot by the first week of November.
Both teams are getting key players back, but each also has important names unavailable for this one.
For Buffalo, wide receiver Skyler Bell is back to being a healthy scratch after dressing in the last two games while DJ Moore was out. Joshua Palmer, who missed Buffalo’s last game because of injury, is active again.
Tackle Spencer Brown will not play after tweaking his back in practice and landing on the questionable list. Tylan Grable is expected to start in his place, while rookie Jude Bowry is active for the first time this season.
Guard Ar’Maj Reed-Adams, a rookie seventh-round pick, is once again inactive.
Defensive lineman Greg Gaines is out after injuring his calf in practice. He had been listed as questionable, but won’t go today. The good news for Buffalo is that Ed Oliver is back.
Outside linebacker Mike Danna is also inactive. Rookie T.J. Parker was questionable, but he’s going to play, which leaves Danna on the outside looking in again.
Cornerback Dee Alford is out as well, which lines up with the practice squad elevations of Geno Stone and A.J. Woods and the signing of Te’Cory Couch to the active roster. Couch is expected to get plenty of work in the slot, though Woods is also an option there.
Safety Jalon Kilgore is inactive, too, leaving Damar Hamlin and Geno Stone as the likely pairing at safety in place of CJ Gardner-Johnson.
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 🡒]