As the Buffalo Bills prepare to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, head coach Sean McDermott has confirmed that starting middle linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle) will not play in the Week 8 contest.
While Bernard suffered the ankle injury during a Week 7 victory over the Miami Dolphins, he has battled through multiple injuries all season. In total, Sunday’s contest will be the third game Bernard has missed this fall, having previously dealt with a pectoral injury and a personal matter.
Bernard, a team captain, is second on the team in run stop win rate (40.5%) and second in tackles per game with 6.4. According to Sports Illustrated’s Kyle Silagyi, McDermott deemed Bernard’s injury to be “day-to-day,” which sounds encouraging for the third-year player out of Baylor.
In the games he has appeared in this season, Bernard has been extremely impressive, recording multiple solo tackles in each game — highlighted by a 10-tackle effort against the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 1 win — as well as a fumble recovery and an interception.
Along with Bernard, the Bills will also be without receiver Curtis Samuel (pectoral) and rookie defensive tackle DeWayne Carter (wrist). Samuel currently has 12 catches for 92 yards this season while Carter has logged eight solo tackles. Speaking with the media at practice on Friday, McDermott passed along that while Samuel may miss multiple games, he is not expected to be out much longer. Carter, though, will have surgery on his wrist and there is “a good chance” he may land on injured reserve.
Facing a Seahawks attack spearheaded by running back Kenneth Walker III (65 carries, 303 rush yards and six touchdowns) and speedy wide receiver DK Metcalf (35 receptions, 568 yards and three touchdowns), the Bills will have their work cut out for them as they try to contain Seattle’s playmakers.
As the Bills schedule ramps up with some challenging opponents, getting players like Bernard back on the field would be a huge bonus for the 5-2 team, especially if he can keep playing at a high level.