The Buffalo Bills are staring at Week 5 without DJ Moore, and Friday’s practice report only made that possibility feel more real.
Moore missed practice again on Friday after sitting out Thursday as well, according to WGRZ’s Jonathan Acosta. The wideout had already re-aggravated a shoulder injury in the Week 4 loss to the New England Patriots, exiting that game early after first hurting the shoulder in Week 2 against the Detroit Lions. That initial injury was later diagnosed as an AC joint sprain.
“Bills WR DJ Moore is once again a spectator at practice today,” Acosta reported. “Moore (shoulder) was a (did not participate) yesterday as well.”
Buffalo still has one more injury report to release Saturday before Monday night’s matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, and the extra day gives Moore a little more time to recover. Even so, his Week 5 status is clearly in jeopardy, and a questionable designation seems like the likeliest landing spot.
The Bills may decide the smartest move is to keep him out altogether. Pushing Moore back too early would only raise the risk of making the shoulder worse and potentially costing him more time down the line.
If Moore can’t go, the passing game will likely shift toward Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid. Coleman stands out most among that group after a strong rebound so far this season. The former second-round pick has 217 receiving yards and a touchdown through four games, already topping half of last year’s output in 13 games and putting himself on pace to eclipse his career-high 556 receiving yards from his rookie season.
Kincaid opened the year fast before cooling off over the last two weeks, while Palmer has been quiet since hauling in one long touchdown in each of Buffalo’s first two games.
In Other News...
Patriots Face One Big Week 5 Concern Beyond Drake Maye
The Patriots head into Week 5 with plenty of attention on Drake Maye and the offense, but their preparations for the Raiders have also been shaped by what has happened on the other side of the ball. New England has spent the week sorting through matchups, leaning on its defensive strengths while trying to account for a Las Vegas team that brings its own questions on both sides of the line of scrimmage.
Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis have both been out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday, leaving New England with a cornerback situation worth monitoring as the week moves on. Rhamondre Stevenson has also been limited because of the ankle injury that sent him out late in Sundays game, so the Patriots are carrying a few important health concerns into a game that already carries plenty of intrigue beyond the rookie quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
A.J. Brown Looks More Right Than Ever About Leaving Eagles
A.J. Browns move out of Philadelphia keeps looking less like a surprise and more like a turning point for both sides. The receiver arrived in New England after rumors of a fraying relationship with Jalen Hurts and a growing sense that the Eagles locker room was not as steady as it once seemed, and the fallout has only sharpened since then as Philadelphias offense has struggled to find its footing.
The bigger picture around the Eagles has only gotten murkier with the kind of roster turnover that can shake a contenders identity. Losing Lane Johnson to retirement and moving Cam Jurgens for future draft picks have added to the unease, and the visible tension around the team has made Browns departure feel even more significant in hindsight for a Patriots team watching the other sideline stumble. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Just Shut Down One Patriots-Bills Storyline
Josh Allen spent part of the conversation after Buffalos win over the Patriots shutting down any notion that a knee issue changed the way he ran the ball. The concern had followed a low hit to his left knee in Buffalos Week 3 win over the Chargers, and after New England saw him work through another division game, the question naturally lingered around whether the injury was limiting his mobility.
Allen did not leave much room for that theory, saying there was no truth to the idea and that he felt great. Against the Patriots, he completed 23 of 33 passes for 253 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while also scoring once on the ground, and the Bills now move on with their quarterback insisting the knee is not a storyline at all. [Read more 🡒]