Bills make two Week 11 elevations while preparing for Spencer Brown's absence

The Buffalo Bills elevated an offensive tackle as injury insurance with starter Spencer Brown expected to be unavailable vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ralph Ventre | 2 Hours Ago

Nov 5, 2023; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Spencer Brown (79) reacts after a play / Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills made two game-day elevations that are seemingly in direct response to the latest injury report.

The Bills have called up tight end Zach Davidson and reserve offensive tackle Richard Gouraige from the Practice Squad for their November 17 home game against the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

On Friday, Buffalo ruled out tight end Dalton Kincaid, leaving only Dawson Knox and Quintin Morris as available tight ends on the active roster. That creates an opportunity for Davidson to be deployed as TE3 in Week 11.

Meanwhile, starting right tackle Spencer Brown is officially listed as questionable to play against the Chiefs, and the move to elevate Gouriage suggests that the Bills are preparing to be without their usual starter.

A source with knowledge of the situation has alerted Bills On SI that backup Ryan Van Demark will make his first career start on Sunday in place of Brown.

With a bye week looming, sitting Brown in Week 11 appears to be a sensible approach. According to multiple accounts, his ankle injury is less than severe and there's no reason to risk it becoming a larger issue. Three weeks off practically ensures that the bookend will be 100 percent for the December 1 game against the reigning NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.

Albeit a small sample size, Van Demark has proven to be a capable substitute. He filled in for nine snaps during last week's road win over the Indianapolis Colts.

If Gouraige is active, it'll likely be as injury insurance. In his second season on Buffalo's Practice Squad, the undrafted offensive tackle has yet to make his NFL debut.

As for Davidson, he's also in line to appear in an NFL game for the first time since the 2021 fifth-round pick was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. The 26-year-old Division II product garnered attention for his pass-catching ability this past summer.