The Buffalo Bills and the Houston Texans are around 90 minutes away from kickoff this evening, which means that each team has released its respective list of inactive players. Buffalo had declared three players out, but one of those players—wideout Mecole Hardman Jr.—was placed on injured reserve earlier this evening. With two players elevated from the practice squad, that means that the Bills needed to list a total of six players out this evening.
Which six players aren’t going to dress for the game
tonight? Here is the full list. _____________________________________________________________________________
WR Curtis Samuel
It’s a tale as old as time at this point: Samuel plays in a game, he does a few nice things like throw a great downfield block to ensure a Ty Johnson touchdown or make a toe-tap catch to convert a big third down, and then he ends up missing time due to injury. It’s a frustrating pattern, but it’s one that we’ve come to expect from Samuel’s year-plus with the Bills. He’s out tonight with elbow and neck injuries.
WR Keon Coleman
Well, there’s our answer as to whether or not the second-year wideout will play tonight. Coleman is once again a healthy scratch, as the Buffalo offense took flight last week with Tyrell Shavers (four catches, 90 yards, one touchdown) and Gabe Davis (three catches, 40 yards) splitting time at the “X” receiver spot. Khalil Shakir, whose wife gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Tuesday, is also active, as are Joshua Palmer and Gabe Davis.
TE Dalton Kincaid
The Bills’ top receiver is out once again thanks to a hamstring injury he suffered against the Miami Dolphins. Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes will see most of the snaps, and Keleki Latu is up from the practice squad as the team’s third tight end.
OT Chase Lundt
The rookie is a healthy scratch once again.
DT Phidarian Mathis
While the former second-round pick was able to practice this week, he’s still not all the way back from an elbow injury that kept him out of last week’s win. It helps that the Bills still have five healthy defensive tackles on the roster, as well. Deone Walker, DaQuan Jones, Larry Ogunjobi, T.J. Sanders, and Jordan Phillips are all active.
CB Ja’Marcus Ingram
Buffalo goes a little lighter at corner tonight, as it will be Ingram as the last man out rather than linebacker Shaq Thompson, who missed last week’s game while recovering from a hamstring injury. Tre’Davious White, Maxwell Hairston, and Christian Benford are all healthy at outside corner, and Taron Johnson and Cam Lewis are both ready to roll at slot corner.
Here are the inactives for Houston:
