Bills at Dolphins: Taron Johnson, Dawuane Smoot, Raheem Mostert all ruled out

Now that the Buffalo Bills are on a plane for their Thursday night game against the Miami Dolphins, we’re getting a better idea of ​​which players will be in uniform in Week 2 and which will simply be spectators.

As for the Bills, there wasn’t a single injury report on Wednesday that would come as a surprise to the Bills Mafia.

Head coach Sean McDermott has already ruled out nickel cornerback Taron Johnson and defensive end Dawuane Smoot. Johnson injured his forearm in Buffalo’s Week 1 win, and while we don’t have any concrete answers, it’s widely believed he has a significant fracture. Either way, he won’t be on the field Thursday night. Smoot found his name on the injury report late last week after injuring his toe in practice.

Now we also know that Javon Solomon is officially questionable to play. As I noted yesterday, even if Solomon recovers from his oblique injury, it appears the Bills will only be able to keep him active if someone else is unable to play. Solomon missed part of preseason with a calf injury, so his experience level is less than ideal for taking on a division rival in a winner-take-control game.

Everyone on Buffalo’s injured list will play — well, hopefully backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky won’t, but that’s not because he’s unhealthy, it’s because Josh Allen is healthy enough to start. Remember, Allen injured his left hand diving for a touchdown late in the game against the Cardinals. Yes, Allen will likely have a glove on his left hand. Yes, the glove likely hides or reinforces some sort of reinforcement. No, Allen has no plans to slow down or not suit up.

Miami is also dealing with its own set of health injuries. Running back Raheem Mostert has been ruled out with a pectoral injury, and rookie receiver Malik Washington is a no-go for Thursday as he continues to rehab a hamstring injury. In 2023, Mostert has carried the ball 209 times for 1,012 yards and 18 touchdowns — a high number for a team loaded with speedy, high-profile wide receivers.

Miami is concerned that De’Von Achane is currently listed as questionable for playing time. The sophomore running back was limited in practice Wednesday after sitting out the first two days with an ankle injury he suffered in the Dolphins’ Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last season, Achane rushed for 800 yards on 107 carries and scored eight touchdowns. He also had three touchdown receptions among his 27 receptions for 197 yards.

Teams have until 5:30 p.m. EDT Thursday to release their official inactive lists. Until then, we have to assume Solomon is out for Buffalo and Achane is in for Miami.