The Buffalo Bills’ already-strained defense suffered another setback in Sunday’s 30-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Veteran defensive tackle Dawuane Smoot left the game with a wrist injury, and head coach Sean McDermott announced on Monday that Smoot would need surgery and would be placed on injured reserve. Although McDermott remained hopeful Smoot could eventually return, the injury adds to a growing list of long-term losses for the Bills this season.
Uncertain Future for Dawuane Smoot
Smoot has been a key part of the Bills’ defensive line rotation, starting four games with 1.5 sacks and 12 tackles, including three for a loss and three quarterback hits. He has played in 48% of the team’s defensive snaps.
McDermott noted on Monday that the full extent of Smoot’s injury wouldn’t be known until after surgery.
“Sometimes with IR and surgeries, you don’t really know until the doctors actually examine the injury closely,” McDermott said.
The Bills have already suffered the loss of star linebacker Matt Milano, who tore a pectoral muscle in training camp, and have had to cope with injuries to linebacker Terrel Bernard and nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, both of whom have missed multiple games this season.
Rookie defensive tackle Dewayne Carter was already placed on injured reserve after wrist surgery. Carter started in two games this season, recording nine total tackles, including four tackles for a loss, two quarterback hits, and one pass deflection.
On November 1, McDermott stated that Carter would also be sidelined for an extended period.
“He’s going to have to undergo surgery, so he will be out for several weeks,” the Bills head coach said, according to the team’s official website.
**Another Offensive Setback**
The Bills faced additional challenges on offense during Sunday’s game, as rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman suffered a wrist injury late in the match. Coleman was injured after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit from Dolphins safety Jordan Poyer, affecting his right wrist.
Poyer was penalized for unnecessary roughness, which gave the Bills a crucial first down and allowed them to continue their drive on third down. The Bills advanced into Dolphins territory and secured the lead for good when kicker Tyler Bass kicked a franchise-record 61-yard field goal in the closing seconds.
Coleman did not return to the game and underwent testing on Monday. McDermott mentioned that the team is still assessing the severity of his injury and whether he might be out for additional time.
“I’ll have more information as we progress through the week,” McDermott said. “I’m just holding out hope in one direction or another, but we’ll see how it develops.”
The Bills were already missing newly acquired wide receiver Amari Cooper, who was sidelined with a wrist injury.
Sunday’s victory provided the Bills with some breathing room, improving their record to 7-2 and giving them an early lead in the AFC East. They are four games ahead of the second-place New York Jets and could potentially clinch the division before the end of the month.
