The Buffalo Bills got their second win of the season against the Miami Dolphins. They dominated the game throughout, and then Tua Tagovailoa went down with a concussion, and the game was effectively over then.
There was another key injury for the Bills in that game that was less talked about because of Tua’s injury: the Bills’ star defender Terrel Bernard.
Buffalo Bills’ Terrel Bernard Suffers Pec Strain, NOT Season Ending
The Bills beat the Dolphins handily, but they lost one of their best defenders. Bernard has started this season in the best way possible, and with the Bills losing so many of their veteran talent on the defensive side of the ball in the offseason, Bernard is a crucial member of the Bills D.
The Bills linebacker and team captain suffered a pectoral strain on Thursday night, and thankfully, it is not considered to be a season-ending injury.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Friday:
Tests showed that Bills LB Terrel Bernard strained his pectoral last night, but it is not considered a season-ending injury, per sources. Bernard could miss about a month and be an IR candidate.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 13, 2024
As Schefter reported, Bernard is looking like he will be out for at least a month due to this injury, but this is huge news for the Bills and their playoff hopes this season.
While it is just two weeks into the season, the team is already down many of their key defenders. Bernard will now be missing time, but he joins the team’s cornerback Taron Johnson. Jonshon has been placed on the IR. Additionally, their star linebacker Matt Milano is also on the IR and will be out for months.
The Bills could not afford to lose Bernard, who is 25 years old, for the season. He is not only their team captain alongside Josh Allen but also one of their top defenders and leaders.
Thankfully, the tests on Friday revealed that it is not a season-ending injury. What was also a great sight for the Bills on Thursday night was that their seventh-round pick Baylon Spector came in and was incredible in that game. He tied the team-high 10 tackles in a game that he played for only two quarters.
“I hate saying ‘next man up,’ because you can’t replace those guys; TB, that’s our captain,” Von Miller said of Bernard. “He’s the heartbeat of this defense. We already lost Matt Milano, so it’s going to be tough to try to fill that void, but those young guys, man, got to give it to them. Baylon Spector came in, and he made it work. Kept the defense together.”
This is huge news for the Bills’ Super Bowl hopes, and in the two games so far Buffalo has looked a bit different from previous years.
Related: Miami Dolphins: Is It Time For Tua Tagavailoa To Walk Away From The NFL?
