If you read yesterday’s Buffalo Bills draft piece then you know that the best choice for them would be to really beef up their backfield by taking Bijan Robinson at running back however that may not be an option as he could be off the board by then, likely the pick directly before theirs by Dallas who is now without Ezekiel Elliott. If that’s the case then draft analyst Ryan “the Ghost” Berger feels that wide receiver would be their best next option to give yet another weapon to Josh Allen alongside Gabe Davis and the more reliant Stefon Diggs. Other options include protecting their franchise QB with another guard as their current left guard Roger Saffold is 34 years old. Finally, adding depth to their secondary could be an option where injuries have caused problems over the past year.
From a health standpoint the Bills had a relatively average NFL year. They finished with an average Banged Up Score (B.U.S) of 75.5 over the course of their 20-week season and finished the regular season just outside the top 10 in overall B.U.S position of 12.3/32 teams last year. Larger impact injuries were primarily defense based with their offense suffering more nagging type injuries that cause decreases in production but allow them to still take the field.
Without a doubt the Bills dealt with the biggest injury situation of the year when S Damar Hamlin suffered cardia arrest and what was most widely thought to be commotio cordis. A condition when a sudden impact to the upper chest wall at a specific time during the heartbeat causes a cardia arrythmia. Thanks to the medical staff, EMT’s and particularly ATC Denny Kellington who performed CPR on Hamlin when he collapsed. The injury of course took a massive toll on the Bills organization and the NFL. Damar eventually made a full recovery and was able to return to his team and watch the remainder of the season.
CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 02: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals on January 2, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire)
Three other biggest performance injuries the Bills faced were a UCL Sprain to QB Josh Allen, ACL tear to DE Von Miller and a neck injury to S Micah Hyde. Josh Allens UCL injury didn’t keep him out but did affect accuracy and velocity of the ball and you can’t tell me any different. Allen was able to play through his injury but the games following you could clearly see he wasn’t quite his pin point accurate Josh Allen self. With the UCL contributing to elbow stability during throwing it’s a big issue in QBs when sprained. This was the same type of issue that Brock Purdy suffered later in the playoffs however his did eventually require surgical intervention.
Von Miller’s injury took away the best pass rush capabilities that Buffalo had and Micah Hyde’s neck injury kept out a valuable veteran who is a leader of the Bills defense. The Bills luckily had depth and were able to still provide solid defense this year but the end of the year gaps were noticeable even as the squeaked by Miami in a 34-31 narrow victory. This will be something they will need to address if they want to go farther this coming season.
KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 16: Buffalo Bills linebacker Von Miller (40) flexes after a sack in the fourth quarter of an NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs on October 16, 2022 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire)
The Bills overall injury trend was one that allowed them to still compete. Aside from a steep decline in week 3 when they dropped from an 84.6 to a 66.9 after losing Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer and placing Dawson Knox on the injury report with a foot injury they were able to stabilize the ship over the remainder of the season never dropping below a 70.6 after that. This allowed them to play at a top level winning the AFC East and once again seeing the post-season. Had Josh Allen not suffered his elbow injury and Von Miller not torn his ACL they may have been able to go further but a lack of pressure on Joe Burrow and an offensive nightmare of just 10 points in the divisional round effectively ended there season. If they can stay healthy this season they will once again start the year as a Super Bowl favorite.
