Ed Oliver injury news has massive implications for depleted Bills

The implications of Ed Oliver’s injury

The Oliver injury is the latest blow to a depleted Bills defense that had been running on fumes prior to this week’s game against the Panthers. Even coming out of their bye week, the Bills were without defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and linebackers Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano. Some of those players will return in the coming weeks, but with the New England Patriots taking the lead in the AFC East and the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs coming to town this week, it’s hard to imagine a worse time for the Bills to lose yet another key player. 

In past years, the Bills' offense might have been able to overcome all these injuries, but there are concerns on that side of the ball as well. Josh Allen’s QBR is his lowest since 2019, a direct result of the lack of trusted weapons. Slot receiver Khalil Shakir, who profiles best as a second or third option, is the only Bills player to rank within the top 50 in receiving yards, and 2024 second-round pick Keon Coleman has yet to emerge as a consistent option. 

The Bills have transitioned to a more methodical, run-heavy style of offense, a massive change from their high-powered aerial attack of the Stefon Diggs days. The Bills want to control the game by dominating time of possession with James Cook runs and short passes, but each key defensive injury is making that more difficult. If the Chiefs have their way with Buffalo's short-handed defense, the Bills are going to need to generate big plays to keep up, and that’s something they just aren’t equipped to do this year.

After five straight division titles, the Bills deserve some of the benefit of the doubt, and they’ll always have a fighting chance as long as Josh Allen and James Cook are on the field. Still, it’s safe to say that their season is at an inflection point, and the loss of Oliver only makes the task that much more daunting.