ORCHARD PARK — A struggling secondary is going to have a new face in the starting lineup Sunday.
The Buffalo Bills ruled out defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (calf), wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle/knee) and safety Taylor Rapp (knee) for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Bills coach Sean McDermott doesn’t believe Jones or Palmer will end up on injured reserve, but Rapp has been.
Rapp’s knee appeared on the injury report for the first time since training camp Wednesday and he didn’t practice all week. McDermott said the injury has been bothering him since training camp, when he was in and out of practice for a week.
After becoming a mainstay in the starting lineup last year, Rapp’s third season with the Bills has been rocky. Rapp missed seven tackles in the first six games as Buffalo’s secondary had seven pass break-ups, two interceptions and 17 missed tackles.
All signs point to veteran Jordan Poyer starting in Rapp’s place Sunday. Poyer logged 18 snaps in his first practice-squad call-up against the Atlanta Falcons, and after seven prior seasons with the Bills, the 34-year-old undoubtedly has the most knowledge and experience in the defense of their options.
“He knows our defense, great communicator, tough — all the things that he has stood for over his career,” Bills safety coach Joe Danna said. “It’s the same guy out there playing.”
The Bills are thin at safety after Cole Bishop. Rookie Jordan Hancock and Sam Franklin Jr. are on the active roster, but neither has a defensive snap this season. Another option, should the Bills change their minds on Poyer is Cam Lewis, who started two games at safety last season.
As for rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston playing against the Panthers, McDermott said, “We’ll see.” Hairston is officially listed as questionable, along with linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle), tight end Dalton Kincaid (oblique), linebacker Matt Milano (pectoral) and receiver Curtis Samuel (ribs).
With Rapp on IR, the Bills have two roster spots available. Hairston would take one of them if he is to play Sunday.
Stopping Panthers’ ground game
Buffalo looks to get back on track after surrendering 500 passing yards the previous two games. Panthers rookie Tetairoa McMillan, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, has 30 catches for 413 yards and two touchdowns, but quarterback Bryce Young is doubtful to play.
Andy Dalton is the likely starter and had a successful nine-year run in Cincinnati, but has played for four teams since 2020, including the last four in Carolina. The 38-year-old has gone 9 of 13 for 118 yards and a touchdown in three games this season.
But the key for the Bills, whether Young were to play or not, is stopping the Carolina run game. Between running backs Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, the Panthers have the third-ranked rushing attack in the NFL at 140.1 yards per game.
After a 1,195-yard season, Hubbard missed two games with a calf injury. Dowdle, a free-agent signee from Dallas, racked up 200 scrimmage yards in consecutive games with Hubbard out.
The New York Jets held Carolina to 3.5 yards per carry last week with both in the lineup. Dowdle had 17 attempts for 79 yards and Hubbard had 31 yards on 14 carries in the 13-6 win.
The Bills rank last in run defense (156.3) and yards per carry (5.8). Defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi are expected to make their Bills’ debuts after serving six-game suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs, but the Bills still only have three healthy defensive tackles with Jones out and rookie T.J. Sanders on injured reserve.
Adjusting run game
An inconsistent Bills offense is looking to rebound against a Panthers defense that ranks seventh in total yards, eighth in rushing and 10th in passing. And James Cook is undoubtedly going to be a focal point for the offense after not getting just 32 touches in the last two games after averaging 21.8 over the first four games.
Carolina’s front presents a unique challenge to the Bills. Led by 300-pounders Derrick Brown and A’Shawn Robinson, the Panthers like to execute twists and slants in the run game, creating early-down chaos for offensive linemen.
Buffalo’s go-to this season has been inside zone runs and duo, a gap scheme that gets a series of double-teams at the point of the attack. Because of Carolina’s active front, the Bills may have to revert to some outside zone, counters and traps, which the Bills have done effectively under offensive coordinator Joe Brady, but not used often this year.
“When you have a similar five guys that play next to each other, we can have stuff at our disposal that maybe we didn’t talk about and need because maybe they gave us an un-scouted look,” Bills left guard David Edwards said. “When you have experienced guys … I think you’re well-suited to adjust and make changes to your original game plan because of what they’re doing.”
If the Bills can run the ball, the Panthers have two solid cornerbacks in Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson. But they rank 26th in blitz rate (19%), 26th in sacks (11) and 31st in pressure percentage (13.4).