Bills Injury News Remains Messy

The Buffalo Bills are in London this week preparing to face the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday and when it comes to injuries, the Bills are a (barely) walking calamity.

Head coach Rex Ryan announced this morning that E.J. Manuel will get the nod at quarterback for a second consecutive week, as starter Tyrod Taylor is still bothered by a knee injury.

It hardly ends there.

Ryan also ruled out top wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who injured his leg (again) in last Sunday’s loss to Cincinnati.  Watkins joins a lengthy list of guys not facing the Jags, on that includes Kyle Williams (knee), Seantrell Henderson (concussion), Karlos Williams (concussion) and Percy Harvin (hip).  Aaron Williams is already on short-term Injured Reserve while wide receiver Marquise Goodwin was placed on season-ending IR earlier this week.

The big news to come out of London this morning concerned Harvin.  Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News cited a league source saying Harvin didn’t join the Bills in London because he is contemplating retirement due to his lingering hip injury.

Yesterday Ryan told the media Harvin wasn’t in London due to personal reasons.

Carucci added that not only is Harvin considering retirement with the team giving him time to figure things out, but cites a source saying the Bills are “comfortable with the possibility of moving on without” Harvin.

Not long after Carucci broke Harvin news, ESPN’s Adam Schefter at least partially refuted the report, writing that while frustrated with hip (and knee) injuries that will sideline him “indefinitely”, Harvin is not contemplating retirement.

While Harvin may or not be back anytime soon, or at all---the Bills are woefully thin at wide receiver. As of now it’s a unit consisting of Robert Woods, Chris Hogan, Denarius Moore and Marcus Easley.

If the Bills are to beat Jacksonville and head into their bye above.500, they need the defense to play like the elite unit they’re capable of but have only scarcely showed so far. While Jacksonville is hardly a defensive juggernaut (ranked 19^th in the league),  it’s unrealistic to expect an offense down a starting quarterback, two wide receivers , starting right tackle and a running back far less than 100% (Lesean McCoy) to pile up a ton of points.

All things considered, the Bills are playing the perfect opponent with a bye following at the perfect time.  If they’re serious about contending for the playoffs, it’s a game they need to have regardless of playing shorthanded.