Bills at Dolphins: Latest injury reports and TNF impact

The Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins enter tonight's game with the same record of 1-0 and tied for first place in the AFC East. It's only Week 2 and there's still a lot of football to be played, but tonight's game will give the winner the first point lead on the way to winning the division title in January.

But this is football, and the NFL has become a major player in the entertainment industry, so what's a division rivalry without a little drama? This week, that drama comes in the form of weekly injury reports and how missing members of each team affect their play.

For Buffalo, the biggest blow is the broken forearm of nickelback Taron Johnson. Johnson, one of the best in the league, was suspended on Tuesday for Thursday's game. The decision may have helped Buffalo adjust its defensive packages in advance this week.

Last week, when Johnson left the game after just seven plays, the Bills needed to fill the void and created more holes in the process. Buffalo brought in defensive back Cam Lewis to fill the void in the defensive backfield. But that move meant new defensive coordinator Bonny Babich had to adjust his plays. Lewis was scheduled to play safety when the Bills played in a dime defense, but instead he played the entire game. Enter defensive back Ja'Marcus Ingram, who stepped in when his name was called – and was instrumental in ending the Arizona Cardinals' attempt to win on opening weekend.

With Johnson not playing in Week 2, Babich has had time to work on strategies that will hopefully neutralize some of Miami's speed on offense. Buffalo not being able to use its All-Pro cornerback is definitely a disadvantage. Having time to prepare other players for important roles swings the pendulum back toward neutral a little bit.

Buffalo will also be playing without defensive end Dawuane Smoot and likely rookie Javon Solomon. Last week, the Bills' defensive line and pass rush didn't suffer from the apparent lack of depth. Defensive linemen Greg Rousseau, AJ Epenesa and Von Miller did an excellent job of pressuring quarterback Kyler Murray and showing no fatigue. Buffalo likes to rotate its linemen to keep everyone fresh, but having Smoot and Solomon unavailable tonight doesn't seem to be as big a detriment as it was in Week 1.

The other big news out of Western New York this week was the condition of quarterback Josh Allen's hand. Although it wasn't his throwing hand, there was uncertainty about whether he could handle the snaps cleanly and, of course, whether he could go off the rails if needed this week.

However, videos from practice show that Allen can take snaps as both a center and a shotgun player. And even though he's wearing a glove on his left hand — likely covering a splint or tape — it's unlikely that JA17 will affect his game tonight. And when Josh Allen plays, the advantage is mostly in his favor.

The host team is also struggling with injuries. The Dolphins have already ruled out a wide receiver and a running back, and another is on the list of questionable players.

At the receiver position, it doesn't really give Miami an advantage if Malik Washington is inactive, just as it wouldn't if he were active. The rookie should simply play when Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle need a moment to breathe. The two are still healthy and that's all it takes to give Miami an edge over Buffalo's young defensive secondary.

Running back injuries are not so favorable, however. Raheem Mostert rushed for over 1,000 yards in a Pro Bowl season last year. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel announced on Tuesday that Mostert would not be available on game day due to a chest injury.

Complicating matters for Miami's offense is the fact that second-year running back De'Von Achane is also coming back from an injury. Achane has rushed for just over 800 yards on the ground and another nearly 200 yards in the air. Achane missed two days of practice and was limited on the final day – a pattern that suggests that even *if* he plays, he may not be as strong as usual. McDaniel said the decision on Achane would not be made until game day, as they will be testing his running performance this afternoon.

While Miami has some fast, high-caliber and very expensive receivers that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa can use as a weapon, the lack of a true running game could give Buffalo's defense the opportunity to pull more players back to keep the Dolphins' wide receivers in check.

While Bills Mafia will tell you that all they need is a healthy Josh Allen to have the edge, he isn't completely healthy. However, Buffalo's offense isn't the part of the game that's a cause for concern. That title is reserved for the defense.

Without linebacker Matt Milano (who is on the injured list) and Taron Johnson, the Bills' defense is in the questionable category. That was offset by Miami's lack of running backs. Last year, McDermott designed a great game plan that neutralized Miami's speed. It's reasonable to assume that happened again this week.

I would say Buffalo actually has the injury advantage this week, especially if Achane is out.

Take your gaming fun to the next level with FanDuel – the official sports betting partner of SB Nation!