Bills HC reveals Week 4 statuses, IR chances for Taron Johnson and Terrel Bernard

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has provided updates on Taron Johnson and Terrel Bernard's respective injuries.

Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills are again preparing for a primetime clash without their starting nickel cornerback and middle linebacker, as head coach Sean McDermott has already ruled both defenders out for the team’s Week 4 Sunday Night Football matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. The sideline boss shared their statuses for the upcoming AFC clash during his Tuesday media availability.

“Both are improving and they’ll do a little bit more this week but they will not make it back for this game,” he told reporters.

Johnson and Bernard were injured in Week 1 and Week 2, respectively, both leaving in the first quarter of their respective games after picking up forearm and pectoral injuries. McDermott did not rule out placing either player on injured reserve after they initially picked up their ailments but is confident that doing so will not be necessary for either defender at this juncture.

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“I would hope so, I think they’re trending in the right direction,” McDermott said. “I hope we don’t have to do that, if so we’ve wasted a couple weeks here. I think we’re rather confident about their timeline and it’s going to probably bump up into that two-and-a-half to four-week area. I just feel like where we’re at with it is, we’re moving forward in a good way. We are looking forward to getting those guys back, but they’re not going to be back, they will not return this week.”

Placing either player on injured reserve would sideline them for at least the next four games; placing Johnson on injured reserve after Week 1 would have made him ineligible until Week 6, which would imply that the team is confident he’ll be able to return before then. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Bernard would be out “about a month” after he picked up his injury; he suffered his pectoral strain on September 12, potentially setting him up for a return in Buffalo’s Week 6 matchup with the New York Jets on October 14.

Cam Lewis and Baylon Spector have filled in for Johnson and Bernard, respectively, each looking solid in spot duty. Third-year defensive back Ja’Marcus Ingram has also seen an increase in snaps in Johnson’s absence, answering the call to the tune of four tackles, four pass deflections, and two interceptions through three games.

Johnson and Bernard will be joined on the inactives list next week by rookie offensive tackle Tylan Grable, who is set to “likely be out for some time,” per McDermott, with a core muscle injury be picked up in the team’s Week 3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

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