Johnson clears protocol, Bernard not expected to play

[Maynard]

Bernard is a game changer, so that one hurts A LOT. 

[BuffaloBaumer]

And Douglas is playing yes?

[BRH]

Who is this “source” and is it even news that TB43 “is not expected to play”?

[SCBills]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:38 PM, JerseyBills said:

ya thank God, didn't Lewis fill in for him last week and got beat a few times

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Yea.. Lewis seems decent as 3rd Safety.   
 

Slot Corner.. not so much. 

[Mango]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:40 PM, Sierra Foothills said:

 

 

Agree with CincyBIllsFan. The Bills under McBeane have demonstrated repeatedly their patience and wisdom in bringing players back slowly from injury.

 

I believe there are teams who would be dressing Terrell Bernard today but not the Bills.

 

 

Exactly correct. They don't want to see Tyler Matakevich playing LB in this game. Whether as a starter or a backup, Klein was gonna get the callup.

 

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Playoff timelines are different than regular season. This is the most important home game this team has played in 30 years. This team played Beasley on a broken leg. They’ll let anybody go who gets doctors clearance for this one. 

[SCBills]

Playing at a high level through injury is a necessary skill in the NFL. 

 

If Bernard somehow gets cleared, it’s because he, and the team, are confident he can play at a high level.

 

Nature of the beast.. pretty normal (even for guys we all thought were healthy) to schedule surgery after the seasons end. 

[Billzgobowlin]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:23 PM, Einstein said:

Sounds about right.

 

I figured he was out when we elevated Klein, since Dodson was practicing all week and should play.

 

How effective would he be on a bum ankle anyway? I always try to remember that player health isn’t binary. 

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We are without Spector so the elevation makes sense anyways

[BlazinBill]

Saw this coming like a lot of others on here- having Taron is huge though -bring Poyer down into the box a lot today 

Edited January 21, 2024 by BlazinBill

[Magox]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:40 PM, Mango said:

Guys in host of other sports have missed 365 + days for a single concussion. The league has zero players with roster sizes 2x-3x. 
 

Take your kid to Dent neuro or the Cleveland clinic the day after their 5th concussion and see if they clear them to play sports 6 days later.

 

They won’t do it.  

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I don’t believe he had a concussion.  I believe it was precautionary.    

[EasternOHBillsFan]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:43 PM, balln said:

No one has said concussion. The term “concussion protocol” is a waste basket term now. You can have a stinger and be in the “protocol “

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Or as Mike McDaniel calls it, a "back injury".

[PBF81]

Numerous crappy teams and teams with scoring defenses ranked in the 20s, two in the low 20s, have held KC to 21 or fewer points.  Six in fact.  

 

The 30th, 17 points.  

The 27th, 19 and 9 points. 

The 24th, 13. 

The 23rd, 20.

 

If our 4th ranked scoring defense cannot manage to hold them to 21 or fewer, even with injuries, which are common to every team ...  

 

In fact, one of the teams we beat to get here, a win without which we wouldn't have made it, had their starting QB, a top one, their only decent starting WR, also a top one, and one of the best DEs in the league all out.  As merely one example.  

 

Same with our offense in our own house.  

 

KC is as offensively weak as we'll ever see them with Mahomes as QB.  

 

GO BILLS!!!  Get this done!  

 

 

Edited January 21, 2024 by PBF81

[Saxum]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:24 PM, Mango said:

That’s remarkable. From a pure fandom perspective I’m glad he is a go. 

 

From a human perspective, this is this guys 5th concussion of his career and he can play in 6 days? Nobody in the NFL gives a shirt about player health or safety, and the independent neuro’s must be on  the take.
 

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There are different levels of concussions just like there different levels of sprains.

 

https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-concussion.htm#:~:text=Grade I%3A no loss of,for more than 24 hours.

 

To claim the independent neurologist needs to be the take is slander.

[julian]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:40 PM, Mango said:

Guys in host of other sports have missed 365 + days for a single concussion. The league has zero players with roster sizes 2x-3x. 
 

Take your kid to Dent neuro or the Cleveland clinic the day after their 5th concussion and see if they clear them to play sports 6 days later.

 

They won’t do it.  

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If the player is fine with the risk, who am I to get in his way, there’s been players who’ve retired early due to concussion risk and good for them, but it was their choice.

 

 Life is full of risk/reward decisions for all of us to make.

Edited January 21, 2024 by julian

[DapperCam]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:24 PM, Mango said:

That’s remarkable. From a pure fandom perspective I’m glad he is a go. 

 

From a human perspective, this is this guys 5th concussion of his career and he can play in 6 days? Nobody in the NFL gives a shirt about player health or safety, and the independent neuro’s must be on  the take.
 

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A charitable interpretation is he had a very minor concussion that they wouldn’t even pull you from the game in the old days, and they are being extremely overly cautious having him in the protocol in the first place.

 

An uncharitable interpretation is he was rushed through the process to be able to play in a big game to the detriment of his long term health.

 

Hard to know for sure from an outsider’s perspective.

 

 

[Brand J]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:43 PM, Maynard said:

Bernard is a game changer, so that one hurts A LOT. 

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He certainly has a knack of always being around the ball. He’s Mr. “Johnny on the spot.” His coverage skills and blitzing will also be missed.

[HappyDays]

I believe in the past we have used Siran Neal to man up on Kelce. I think the middle 3 personnel packages will have to be very creative today. I could see weird ones like Dodson/Neal/Johnson, or Dodson/Poyer/Johnson (with Lewis or Hamlin as the SS) to go along with the traditional packages. I think guys are gonna get moved around a lot as a means of papering over some awful injury luck and simultaneously keeping Mahomes off balance with what he's seeing.

[die hard bills fan]

Not ideal but it is what it is. No complaining just get it done.

[Mango]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:58 PM, Limeaid said:

 

There are different levels of concussions just like there different levels of sprains.

 

https://mayfieldclinic.com/pe-concussion.htm#:~:text=Grade I%3A no loss of,for more than 24 hours.

 

To claim the independent neurologist needs to be the take is slander.

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Cool. 
 

Im not a neuro, but I have one at the Cleveland Clinic and another at Mount Sinai, and both have said that the NFL concussion protocol isn’t what they would practice at either hospital. 

[BeastMaster]

Bernard wasn't covering Kelce, and Dodson helps more against the run.

 

Not the worst loss for this game. Johnson is more valuable with his ability to cover Kelce/slot receivers.

 

McDermott has enough on the D line and on the backend to limit a KC offense that hasn't been potent all season

[london_bills]

  On 1/21/2024 at 3:28 PM, SoonerBillsFan said:

McDermott is going to have to come up with some serious **** to shut down the crybaby with all these injuries.

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I think we'd most all agree we need KC to have a slight off day given so many injuries