A large exhale could be heard coming from One Bills Drive Friday.
After losing All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano to a torn pectoral muscle, the Bills feared Terrel Bernard would endure the same fate. The team captain left Thursday’s 31-10 win over the Miami Dolphins after attempting to make a tackle early in the game and did not return, leaving the Bills without their top two linebackers.
But it doesn’t appear Bernard will be out for an extended period of time. Bills coach Sean McDermott said Bernard would miss time and the team was debating about placing him on injured reserve — which would keep him out a minimum of four weeks — but there is hope Bernard could return in about a month, which was reported by ESPN and NFL Network.
Although McDermott wouldn’t put a timeline on Bernard’s return, discussions about whether Bernard will be placed on injured reserve is a good sign that it won’t be season-ending.
“He’s going to be out multiple weeks,” McDermott said. “We’re talking about if it’s an IR-conducive situation or not. I’m aware of the report and we still have some internal conversations that we have to have to determine whether or not it’s going to end up on the IR or not.”
With Bernard out of the lineup, the Bills will turn to Baylon Spector, a 2022 seventh-round pick whose season was marred by injuries last season and has never started a regular-season game. Spector replaced Bernard against the Dolphins after replacing Tyrel Dodson in Miami for last year’s regular-season finale.
Spector had a rough start to the game, hesitating to make a decision and it cost the Bills on a De’Von Achane touchdown reception. But Spector eventually settled into his role and tied linebacker Dorian Williams and safety Damar Hamlin with a team-high 10 tackles.
“The speed’s different,the processing of that is a little bit different,” McDermott said. “But really pleased with how Baylon handled it. And really he went in there and did his job. He kept the game simple, executed his assignments and you felt the kind of the repercussions of that. So it was good to watch, fun to see.”
For most of his time with the Bills, Spector was trained to play both linebacker spots. But last season he missed the first five games due a hamstring injury in the final preseason game, only to return for two weeks, aggravating the injury and missing three more.
Spector got his first career start in the AFC wild-card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but suffered a broken back when teammate Christian Benford’s knee collided with Spector while recovering a fumble.
But Spector has a better understanding of how to manage his health now and he is known for his instincts on the field, having played safety before moving to linebacker at Clemson. When the Bills went to the six-defensive back dime package, Spector was the only linebacker on the field against the Dolphins, placing him in control of the defense.
“Baylon’s really starting to understand his body and what he needs to be able to be available,” Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich said. “… Me, personally, when I was the linebackers coach, I challenged him to be in control of our operation and run the operation like a Mike linebacker does for the Buffalo Bills and he’s shown that he can do that.”
It won’t just be Spector and Williams who take on more responsibility without Bernard, but it will also fall to veteran Nicholas Morrow and rookies Joe Andreessen and Edefuan Ulofoshio. The two rookies have been inactive for the first two games of the season, but it seems certain at least one will make their NFL debut when the Bills host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 23.
“If I’m Joe, or if I’m Eddie, or if I’m, you know, the next player, to me, it’s a great example for those players that are further down the depth chart,” McDermott said. “‘Hey, man, that could have been me. So I got to make sure I’m ready to go, and I can’t wait for my opportunity. When I get it, I’m going to strike just like those guys.’”