Bills at Patriots, Week 18: Buffalo rules out 1, New England rules out 4

Buffalo listed one other player as questionable; New England listed six.

The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots have wrapped up their final practices for the 2024 regular season. The two division rivals will square off Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, but the game probably won’t look anything like schedule-makers thought back in May.

The Bills have nothing to gain from winning and nothing to lose if they don’t — they are locked into their place in this year’s playoffs. The Patriots on the other hand have everything to gain if they lose — the number-one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft — and plenty to lose if they win. But head coach Jarod Mayo said his team will play to win.

The question, for both teams, is who will actually be on the field, and for how long. The Bills only ruled out one player and listed another as questionable. Everyone else could play (although it’s sure that many of Buffalo’s starters will be on snap counts at the very least). The Patriots, on the other hand, have ruled out four and listed another six players as questionable.

Here’s a look at who may or may not play due to injury.

---

Buffalo Bills ruled out ahead of Week 18

• LB Terrell Bernard (quad)

This really isn’t news. Head coach Sean McDermott told media on Monday that unless an emergency arose, the Bills’ defensive captain would not be in uniform on Sunday. No emergencies happened. In fact, the Bills are so confident in their linebacker crew for Sunday that they waived a linebacker this week and filled his spot with a quarterback. The good news is that Bernard’s injury isn’t expected to sideline him next week as the Bills host the AFC’s seven seed on Super Wild Card Weekend.

Buffalo Bills questionable for Week 18

• WR Curtis Samuel (rib)

Curtis Samuel has been the most-frequently injured man in Buffalo’s wide receiver room. While both Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman missed some significant time, it was one injury each. Samuel, on the other hand, has had a toe injury, a foot injury (probably the same injury — but it was listed differently), a pectoral injury, and now a rib injury. The veteran pass catcher missed the Bills’ Week 17 40-14 blowout over the New York Jets and now may sit out an additional week. It would mark Samuel’s fifth absence of the season, not to mention the preseason misses due to the turf-toe injury.

The decision of whether or not to play Samuel may come down more to game plan and who the Bills choose to elevate from the practice squad on Saturday. If McDermott doesn’t want his starters getting many reps, offensive coordinator Joe Brady will need to decide how he is going to plan for a game with minimal receivers — because all of Buffalo’s wideouts play significant roles in Brady’s “everybody eats” weekly game plans.

---

On the other side of the field, the Patriots have a host of injuries listed for Sunday.

New England Patriots ruled out for Week 18

• C Ben Brown (concussion)
• CB Christian Gonzalez (concussion)
• S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring)
• WR Ja’Lynn Polk (shoulder)

Peppers and Polk didn’t play two weeks ago when the Bills hosted the Patriots at Highmark Stadium. Now they will miss the rematch as well. This will be the first miss for center Ben Brown who joined the Patriots in October after they signed him off of the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad. Brown has started all nine games since arriving in New England.

Christian Gonzalez has started all 16 of Patriots’ games this season. The second-year cornerback has 45 solo tackles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and 11 passes defensed. His most likely replacement, Marcellas Dial Jr., has just two solo tackles and one forced fumble.

New England Patriots questionable for Week 18

• S Kyle Dugger (ankle/quadriceps)
• TE Hunter Henry (foot)
• LB Anfernee Jennings (knee)
• LB Titus Leo (ankle)
• QB Drake Maye (right hand)
• LB Sione Takitaki (knee)

The big question mark here, obviously, is quarterback Drake Maye. Maye took over the starting quarterback position from Jacoby Brissett in Week 6. While Brissett returned in a starting role in Week 8, the job has been Maye’s to keep. Now, with the rookie’s throwing hand a concern, and nothing to lose in Week 18, the question isn’t just will Maye play but will fellow rookie Joe Milton III. Milton has yet to appear in a game for the Patriots, but that could change on Sunday.

---

Both teams will announce any roster moves, including practice squad elevations, on Saturday — but it will be 11:30 a.m. EST on Sunday before we know their game day active rosters. Will this be a battle of the backups? Or will one team going all-in to win?