Bills Place TE Dawson Knox on IR After Wrist Surgery
The Buffalo Bills have made the decision to place tight end Dawson Knox on injured reserve following his recent wrist surgery. This means that Knox will be sidelined for at least four games as he recovers from the injury. The Bills made the announcement ahead of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Knox initially injured his right wrist during the team’s Week 5 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The severity of the injury led to surgery earlier this week, and coach Sean McDermott stated that there is no clear timeline for Knox’s return. As a result, the Bills made the decision to place him on injured reserve.
In addition to Knox, tight end Quintin Morris will also be unavailable for Thursday’s game due to an ankle injury. To fill the void left by these two players, the Bills elevated cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver Andy Isabella from the practice squad. This marks the first elevation this season for both players. With Knox and Morris out, rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid will be the only available option at the position for the Bills against the Buccaneers.
The Bills’ offense has struggled in recent games, scoring only 10 points in the first halves of their past three matchups combined. Despite this, quarterback Josh Allen has praised Kincaid’s performance and believes he can contribute to the team’s success moving forward. Allen commended Kincaid for his ability to get open and catch every pass thrown his way in their previous game.
Knox has played a significant role in the Bills’ offense this season, participating in 75.4% of offensive snaps in their Week 6 win against the Giants. Although his role as a receiver has diminished with the emergence of Kincaid, the Bills have been utilizing 12 personnel formations frequently to get both players on the field simultaneously. Last season, the Bills used 12 personnel on only 11.9% of plays, but this year they have increased their usage to 31.2%.
Despite the team’s intention to utilize 12 personnel more often, they ran their second-lowest rate of such plays (21.2%) in their recent loss to the New England Patriots. This decrease in usage coincided with Kincaid’s absence due to a concussion. In that game, Knox was unable to hold onto a crucial fourth-down pass in the fourth quarter after it was knocked loose by Patriots linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley.
The Bills’ decision not to elevate any defensive linemen from the practice squad for Thursday’s game suggests that defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who is listed as questionable with a toe injury, will likely be available to play.
In conclusion, the Buffalo Bills have placed tight end Dawson Knox on injured reserve following his wrist surgery. Knox will miss at least four games as he recovers from the injury. The team has elevated cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver Andy Isabella from the practice squad to fill the void left by Knox and Morris. Rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid will be the only available option at the position for the Bills against the Buccaneers. Despite Knox’s absence, the Bills remain committed to utilizing 12 personnel formations to maximize offensive production.