Bills HC Sean McDermott deals with injuries following the Week 4 loss

On Monday afternoon, a day after the Buffalo Bills suffered their biggest loss of the past two and a half seasons, head coach Sean McDermott had a small piece of good news: Quarterback Josh Allen is more sore than injured.

Allen was hit on an ill-advised trick play attempt in the third quarter as the Bills faltered against the Baltimore Ravens. All the Bills Mafia collectively held their breath as Buffalo’s season seemed to hinge on whether or not their quarterback would come off the field.

After the game, Allen said he landed on his lower back but was doing well. It’s clear he’s still dealing with a left hand injury suffered in Week 1, and while he did see him complete a handoff with this left hand — a first since the injury occurred — it seemed all night as if Allen favored his gloved left hand.

Other injuries McDermott discussed — though that term should be used loosely when describing how forthcoming McDermott is with information — included safety Taylor Rapp and wide receiver Khalil Shakir.

Rapp has suffered a concussion thanks to his tackle on Ravens running back Derrick Henry. Rapp dragged the 247-pound Henry to the ground, but earned a trip to the medical tent in the process. Whether he can play Sunday in Houston is completely out of the Bills’ control, as he will have to work his way through the league’s concussion protocol and be cleared by an independent neurological consultant.

When asked if the Bills would consider calling up Micah Hyde, Buffalo’s former All-Pro safety who has spent the past nine months debating whether to retire or return to the game, McDermott said they are confident the players they have (safeties Mike Edwards and Cole Bishop as defensive back Cam Lewis is in the process of replacing injured cornerback Taron Johnson), but would always welcome the thought of bringing back the 33-year-old Hyde.

Another injury from Sunday night that has many concerned involves Khalil Shakir. In the first quarter, Shakir headed to the sideline, where staff re-taped his right ankle. After the match, Shakir was seen in a walking boot and now McDermott says Shakir fought through the injury and is “very sore” a day later. The Bills will take the 24-year-old’s availability on a day-by-day basis.

Of course, Bills Mafia is still wary of Taron Johnson and Terrel Bernard, as last Sunday night’s game showed more than ever how much the team is missing with the entire middle of their defense sidelined. McDermott said we can expect to see more from Bernard in training this week – a good indication that his pectoral injury was minor and his return to play will happen soon. Bernard himself had encouraging words last week when he said he hoped to be back for week 5, but made no guarantees.

The bigger concern could be that Taron Johnson, who broke his forearm in Week 1, has yet to return to practice. In fact, McDermott said that while both he and Bernard are making progress, Johnson’s availability is the more uncertain of the two.

We may know more on Wednesday when the Bills hold their first team practice as they prepare to head south to take on the Houston Texans on Sunday in their first non-primetime game since Week 1.