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Bills injury update: Buffalo could be missing 4 key players vs. Steelers

ORCHARD PARK - Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott said Friday morning on his weekly radio appearance with WGR-AM (550) that wide receiver Gabe Davis and safety Taylor Rapp will not play when the Bills host the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon.

He also said cornerback Rasul Douglas and linebacker Tyrel Dodson would be categorized as questionable for the game, but he also added that neither player would practice Friday afternoon.

Given that they haven’t practiced all week, it seems like a longshot that either Douglas or Dodson would play.

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“We’ll see how it goes, we’ll take it one day at a time,” McDermott said when he met with reporters a few minutes after his radio appearance.

Obviously, being down Davis and Rapp hurts, but if the Bills were to be without Douglas and Dodson, that’s certainly not ideal in a game where the stakes are win or go home.

“Hard to replace Gabe,” McDermott said. “He’s such a valuable member of our team with what he does in the run game and the pass.”

Trent Sherfield will probably get the bulk of Davis’ responsibilities at wide receiver, and Rapp, a reserve who usually only plays when the Bills’ defense goes to its three-safety dime package, would probably be replaced by Cam Lewis.

Should Douglas not be able to play, Dane Jackson will get the call. “I think there’s a lot of things that go into it with his situation,” McDermott said of Douglas’ knee injury, “but we’ll see how he looks today. He’s a veteran corner, been around us a number of games, he’s a pro.”

The Bills will play the Steelers without injured receiver Gabe Davis.
The Bills will play the Steelers without injured receiver Gabe Davis.

As for veteran A.J. Klein who was re-signed to the practice squad this week, it’s possible that he could be elevated for the game, not only for depth reasons but because the strength of Klein’s game is run defense. With the Steelers offense, and with the expected wintry weather, stopping the run is going to be critical for the Bills and Klein might be the best option.

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This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills injury report: Gabe Davis and Taylor Rapp out, other updates