The Buffalo Bills have some key defensive concerns heading into their AFC Championship rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday.
On Monday, Coach Sean McDermott shared that starting cornerback Christian Benford is currently in concussion protocol. Benford sustained the injury during a final onside kick attempt by the Baltimore Ravens in the Bills’ 27-25 win during the divisional round on Sunday.
Kaiir Elam, a former first-round draft pick, has stepped in as a replacement when one of the team’s cornerbacks has been sidelined in the past. This season, Elam has made four starts. If Benford doesn’t clear concussion protocol in time for the game, defensive back Ja’Marcus Ingram is another option for the Bills to consider.
Along with Benford, starting safety Taylor Rapp is listed as day-to-day, according to McDermott, after suffering a hip injury that caused him to leave the Ravens game in the second quarter. Rapp had to be carted off the field after being examined in the medical tent.
“We’ll see how [Rapp’s injury] goes throughout our week,” McDermott said.
Rookie Cole Bishop replaced Rapp for the remainder of the game. This season, Bishop has started four games for the Bills.
Defensive coordinator Bobby Baich praised Bishop’s performance despite the difficult circumstances. “He did a solid job there. It’s tough, man. It’s tough,” Baich said. “You’re playing special teams, you’re standing on the sideline watching the game, trying to stay into it, but being out there with the speed of what’s going on and those type of things, you get thrown right to the fire.
So, he did a nice job stepping in. There’s a couple things he could do better as they all can, including myself, and it was good to see. All the experience he’s getting is tremendous.”
Looking ahead, the Bills will travel to Kansas City this Sunday (6:30 p.m. EST, CBS) to face the Chiefs in what will be their fourth meeting in five postseason appearances. This marks the second-most matchups in a five-postseason span in NFL history. Kansas City has won all three of the previous meetings during this stretch.
However, the Bills did manage to beat the Chiefs earlier this season in Week 11, with a 30-21 victory.
