The Bills got roughed up in a Thursday night loss in Houston and could see two starters head to injured reserve, as a result. With just six weeks left in the season, Buffalo could potentially lose right tackle Spencer Brown and linebacker Terrel Bernard for at least four weeks as head coach Sean McDermott disclosed today that IR could be a possibility for both players, per Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic. 
After a night in which the Bills gave up eight sacks, the prospect of losing one of their bookend tackles is a scary one. And while Brown is more well-regarded for his run blocking abilities, swing tackle Ryan Van Demark didn’t fare much better against the Texans’ pass rush as he filled in for Brown last night. Buscaglia noted that Brown was spotted in a sling following the loss in Houston, and Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News provided the update today that Brown’s shoulder injury would require further evaluation.
Based on McDermott’s comments today, the result of the evaluation could end Brown’s season. A placement on IR would require at least a four-week absence, giving Brown a chance to come back in Week 17 at the earliest. If Brown’s shoulder isn’t able to heal in that time, his regular season contributions may be done, and he could be out for a potential postseason run, as well. This would be a first for Brown, who, in his young career, has never had a stint on IR.
Since missing two separate two-week stretches as a rookie, Brown only sat out of four games over the next four seasons. This reliability and run-blocking prowess earned Brown the four-year, $72MM extension he signed before the final year of his rookie contract last year. For whatever time Brown ends up missing, Van Demark will likely step in to start. The fourth-year undrafted UConn alum has three starts for Buffalo in the past two seasons.
Playing through an ankle injury that’s been nagging him over the past five weeks, Bernard hurt his elbow in last night’s game and was described as “week-to-week” by Skurski. The former third-round pick out of Baylor has been a leading tackler for the team over the last three years. After leading the team with 143 in his first year as a full-time starter in 2023, he finished second on the team last year despite missing four games. He’s currently second on the team behind safety Cole Bishop, who’s played one more contest than Bernard.
Luckily for Buffalo, the defense saw veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson return to the field last night after missing three weeks while dealing with a hamstring injury. If Bernard is out for any amount of time, Thompson is a strong candidate to step in amongst starters Matt Milano and Dorian Williams in the front seven.
The team hasn’t resigned to four-week absences for these two starters just yet, though. While an IR placement remains a possibility for both players, there’s a chance both could avoid the lengthy absence. Regardless, despite having a week and half of rest before their next contest, McDermott told reporters that “it doesn’t look great” for Brown and Bernard’s chances of playing in Week 13.