Former No. 1 overall picks duel as Jags, Bears clash in London

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles feels rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is “right where he should be and continuing to get better.”

To be sure, Williams has helped Chicago to two straight wins entering Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, although Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen offers an assessment of his own.

“You like to play against rookie quarterbacks,” Hines-Allen said. “A lot of them want to make the big plays. So, they tend to hold on to the ball a little more.”

Chicago (3-2) will look to keep Williams rolling — and upright — against a Jaguars team that stopped a season-opening four-game losing streak with a 37-34 home victory against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5.

Jacksonville (1-4) became the last team in the NFL to earn a victory this season behind a career-best 371 passing yards from quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence, like Williams a former No. 1 overall draft pick, was 28 for 34 through the air with two touchdowns and an interception.

Brian Thomas Jr. caught five passes for 122 yards and a score while Tank Bigsby rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Jaguars to a season-high 497 yards of offense.

“I thought we’ve done a good job how we diversify the ball,” Jacksonville receiver Christian Kirk said.

Running back Travis Etienne agreed, adding that the run game is “going to help continue to elevate our offense.”

The possible return of tight end Evan Engram (hamstring), who was limited in practice Wednesday, could also offer a boost. Etienne (shoulder), wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee), cornerbck Tyson Campbell (hamstring), safeties Darnell Savage (quad) and Daniel Thomas (hamstring), and linebackers Devin Lloyd (knee) and Yasir Abdullah (neck) were also limited at practice.

Williams surpassed 300 yards passing for the second time as the Bears routed the visiting Carolina Panthers 36-10 last Sunday. Williams was 20-for-29 passing for 304 yards and a pair of touchdowns to DJ Moore, who had 105 yards on five catches against his former team.

Poles lauded Williams’ resiliency and ability to adjust to what the game gives him.

“The human side of it is you want your guy to just take off and roll, but everyone’s journey is gonna be different,” Poles said. “I think the important thing is for Caleb to understand that as well and run his own race, and he’s done that well in terms of just focusing on how can I get better, how can I put our team in a position to win games.”

Offseason acquisition D’Andre Swift has offered a steady hand to the attack of late. In each of the past two games, Swift has gained at least 120 yards from scrimmage and scored a touchdown.

The Bears will be without safety Jaquan Brisker, who didn’t travel with the team as he experiences concussion-like symptoms stemming from a second-quarter collision with Carolina tight end Tommy Tremble. The play didn’t force Brisker from the game.

Elijah Hicks will replace Brisker in the lineup, Chicago coach Matt Eberflus said.

On injured reserve since Aug. 27 with a toe injury, Bears defensive end Jacob Martin returned to practice Wednesday, opening a 21-day window to reinstate him on the active roster. Defensive lineman Zacch Pickens (groin) and cornerback Terell Smith (hip) did not travel with the team, while cornerback Kyler Gordon (heel) and left guard Teven Jenkins (ankle) were limited at practice.

Chicago leads the all-time series 5-3 and rolled to a 41-7 road victory in 2020 in the most recent meeting.

The Bears are 1-1 in London games. Jacksonville, which is 6-5 in the British capital, will remain there to face the New England Patriots in Week 7.

–Field Level Media

Defensive-minded Broncos, Chargers square up for slugfest

Back in Denver days after breaking the long-running hex of the rival Raiders, the Broncos attempt to catch lightning in a bottle once more when another division foe rolls into town Sunday afternoon.

The Broncos (3-2) catapulted into second place in the AFC West with a 34-18 win over the visiting Raiders last week and push for a fourth consecutive win over the Los Angeles Chargers (2-2).

Los Angeles managed 16 total points in a pair of defeats against Denver last season, part of the reason the Chargers are under new management in 2024. New boss Jim Harbaugh steers a rested bunch into Week 6 following a bye week wary of a battle plan from the Broncos that looks eerily familiar.

“Not where we want to be. We want to be 4-0,” Harbaugh said. “We’re 2-2.”

Denver enjoyed home cooking last week, when they snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Raiders that included every game since the franchise moved to Las Vegas. The Broncos put up 34 points, their highest output in a game since beating the Lions 38-10 on Dec. 12, 2021 with a backfield of Teddy Bridgewater and Melvin Gordon.

Defense is the common denominator in this AFC West contest. The Broncos have allowed 11.8 points per game since a Week 1 loss at Seattle and are tied for second in the NFL in scoring defense behind the Chargers’ NFL-leading 12.5 opponent points per game.

“In my experience, defense comes along a little quicker,” Harbaugh said. “Offense is that frustrated, patient discipline.”

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert welcomed the early bye week.

He played through a high ankle sprain in consecutive losses before the Week 5 break as the Chargers reset in the midst of a stretch with two touchdowns in the past 10 quarters. The Steelers and Chiefs took away the running game that put up 395 yards to carry the offense during a 2-0 start. Production declined to 116 total yards in the defeats to Pittsburgh and Kansas City.

Harbaugh said “nobody does more” for the Chargers than Herbert, who is practicing with his right ankle wrapped and was a limited practice participant on Wednesday. He’s also a key component in the Chargers making the type of improvement Harbaugh said he’s chasing.

“For us it’s getting crisper, sharper on offense,” Harbaugh said, pointing to penalties as missed assignments as areas of focus. “And in all areas. But that’s particularly what we’re attacking.”

Finding a ground game has helped Nix settle in; he threw four interceptions in his first two starts. He enters Week 6 with 78 consecutive passes without a pick over the past three starts with Denver’s team rushing yardage over 100 in each of those wins.

‘He’s getting experience, and we’re seeing it,” Payton said of Nix impressing him with “processing” skills pre-snap.

A run-first identity is Payton’s preference, but he knows the Broncos have to find a way to take more consistent shots downfield to open running lanes and extend drives. Denver’s 14.8 first downs per game is tied for 30th in the NFL with the New England Patriots — behind the likes of the Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns — but ahead of the 32nd-ranked Chargers (13.5).

One of the consequences is a miniscule margin for error for both defenses. Nix had 60 passing yards in a Week 3 win over the Jets. Herbert is averaging 144.5 passing yards per game.

But both teams are staying afloat by coming up with takeaways and getting to the quarterback. Only five teams have more takeaways than the Broncos’ eight and the Chargers are tied for third in the league with a plus-five turnover differential.

Nix averages 168.3 passing yards per game, 30th in the NFL. But Payton insists he’ll measure success of his team and quarterback by one statistic — victories. Nix is the first Denver rookie quarterback to win three consecutive starts and posted his first game with multiple TD passes last week, when the Broncos also delivered a 100-yard interception return courtesy of cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Surtain was NFL defensive player of the week and is being mentioned as a potential NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

“He’s playing lights out,” Payton said of Surtain. “I can’t stand talking about those type of awards in the early part of October. But man, the play he made the other day was huge. He’s obviously one of, if not the top corner in the league. He practices his tail off. He’s a great teammate.”

Surtain said “it is a little early” for end-of-season awards and he’s looking to build each week.

“I’m just going to keep on working and keep on honing my craft,” Surtain said.

After Week 6, three of the next four games are on the road for the Broncos. Payton returns to New Orleans next week for a primetime matchup with the Saints on Thursday night. Denver hosts the Panthers in Week 8 before going to Baltimore and Kansas City to start November.

The Chargers are also in primetime next week with a Monday night trip to play the Arizona Cardinals.

Chargers star outside linebacker Joey Bosa (hip) missed practice Wednesday. He was injured in Week 3 and sat out the following week against the Chiefs prior to the team’s bye week.

Six others sat out due to injuries, including cornerbacks Asante Samuel Jr. (shoulder), Deane Leonard (hamstring) and Kristian Fulton (knee).

Sitting out for the Broncos were receiver Josh Reynolds (hand), center Luke Wattenberg (ankle) and offensive tackle Alex Palczewski (ankle).

–Field Level Media

Seahawks seek to end slide vs. NFC West rival 49ers

A week and a half ago, the Seattle Seahawks were sitting pretty with a 3-0 record and a two-game lead in the NFC West.

That could all be undone by the time their Thursday night game against the visiting San Francisco 49ers is over.

The Seahawks (3-2) have lost two straight, including a 29-20 decision Sunday against the visiting New York Giants. A defeat Thursday would drop them into a first-place tie with the 49ers (2-3).

“We’ve got a quick turnaround. Tough opponent Thursday night. Divisional opponent. It means everything to us,” said Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who leads the NFL in completions (143), pass attempts (199) and passing yards (1,466). “This is a big game. It’s about as big of a game we’ve had this season. We better be ready.”

Seattle nearly rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 2:09 against the Giants, but Jason Myers’ potential tying 47-yard field-goal attempt with about one minute left was blocked and returned for a touchdown.

“Seems like when the game’s on the line, we find ways to get things done,” Smith said. “But that’s got to be our mentality throughout the entire game. We can’t wait until the end of the game to try and save it.”

The Seahawks will look to establish the running game after Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combined for just seven carries against the Giants. Seattle has thrown on a league-high 67.4 percent of its plays.

“We all know we need to run the ball more,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “Everybody knows that, our opponents know that. Our players in our locker room know that, (offensive coordinator Ryan) Grubb knows that, our coaches do, I do. We have to create more situations where we can run it as well.”

The 49ers, who won 11 of 12 games the past two seasons against NFC West foes while capturing back-to-back division titles, have blown 10-point, fourth-quarter leads against both the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals this year.

The latter came at home Sunday, as the Cardinals rallied for a 24-23 victory.

“We don’t have time to sit here and have a pity party,” All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams said. “We’ve got another really good football team, another division opponent. Short week, so got to go.”

Without running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles tendinitis), the 49ers have struggled offensively, especially when approaching the opponents’ goal line. They rank 29th in the NFL with touchdowns on 40.9 percent of red-zone drives, after leading the league last season at about 68 percent. McCaffrey, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, had 18 red-zone TDs last season.

“It’s early in the season and we’re still trying to find our true identity as a team and we’re getting there,” 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy said. “It’s a couple plays away and a couple drives away from gelling and gluing together. But I’m confident that we’ll find it. We’ve just got to get into a rhythm and play complementary team football.”

The 49ers had several kickers in for tryouts this week after Jake Moody sustained a high right ankle sprain on Sunday, and they signed Matthew Wright before ruling out Moody for the Thursday game. Safety Talanoa Hufanga, who has torn wrist ligaments, was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday. Also ruled out were defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (knee) and linebacker Demtrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf).

San Francisco cornerback Charvarius Ward (knee) and wide receiver Chris Conley (oblique) were listed as questionable.

The Seahawks on Wednesday ruled out defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (hamstring) and cornerback Tariq Woolen (ankle), as well as linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (thigh), who eventually will be placed on injured reserve, according to Macdonald. Linebackers Boye Mafa (knee) and Derick Hall (foot) and safety Julian Love (hamstring) are questionable.

Seattle has lost five straight to the 49ers, including a playoff game. That’s the Seahawks’ longest skid in the series.

–Field Level Media

Seahawks seek to end slide vs. NFC West rival 49ers

A week and a half ago, the Seattle Seahawks were sitting pretty with a 3-0 record and a two-game lead in the NFC West.

That could all be undone by the time Thursday night’s game against the visiting San Francisco 49ers is over.

The Seahawks (3-2) have lost two straight, including a 29-20 decision Sunday against the visiting New York Giants. A defeat Thursday would drop them into a first-place tie with the 49ers (2-3).

“We’ve got a quick turnaround. Tough opponent Thursday night. Divisional opponent. It means everything to us,” said Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, who leads the NFL in completions (143), pass attempts (199) and passing yards (1,466). “This is a big game. It’s about as big of a game we’ve had this season. We better be ready.”

Seattle nearly rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 2:09 against the Giants, but Jason Myers’ potential tying 47-yard field-goal attempt with about one minute left was blocked and returned for a touchdown.

“Seems like when the game’s on the line, we find ways to get things done,” Smith said. “But that’s got to be our mentality throughout the entire game. We can’t wait until the end of the game to try and save it.”

The Seahawks will look to establish the running game after Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet combined for just seven carries against the Giants. Seattle has thrown on a league-high 67.4 percent of its plays.

“We all know we need to run the ball more,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “Everybody knows that, our opponents know that. Our players in our locker room know that, (offensive coordinator Ryan) Grubb knows that, our coaches do, I do. We have to create more situations where we can run it as well.”

The 49ers, who won 11 of 12 games the past two seasons against NFC West foes while capturing back-to-back division titles, have blown 10-point, fourth-quarter leads against both the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals this year.

The latter came at home Sunday, as the Cardinals rallied for a 24-23 victory.

“We don’t have time to sit here and have a pity party,” All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams said. “We’ve got another really good football team, another division opponent. Short week, so got to go.”

Without running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles tendinitis), the 49ers have struggled offensively, especially when approaching the opponents’ goal line. They rank 29th in the NFL with touchdowns on 40.9 percent of red-zone drives, after leading the league last season at about 68 percent. McCaffrey, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, had 18 red-zone TDs last season.

“It’s early in the season and we’re still trying to find our true identity as a team and we’re getting there,” 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy said. “It’s a couple plays away and a couple drives away from gelling and gluing together. But I’m confident that we’ll find it. We’ve just got to get into a rhythm and play complementary team football.”

The 49ers had several kickers in for tryouts this week after Jake Moody suffered a high ankle sprain on Sunday, and they signed Matthew Wright. Wide receiver Chris Conley (oblique), defensive lineman Jordan Elliott (knee), linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf), cornerback Charvarius Ward (knee) and safety Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) also missed practice time. Hufanga, who has torn wrist ligaments, will be out at least a month, coach Kyle Shanahan said.

The Seahawks’ practice was a walkthrough, so the injury report was an estimate. Not participating were defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (hamstring), linebackers Uchenna Nwosu (thigh) and Derick Hall (foot) and cornerback Riq Woolen (ankle). The team said Nwosu will not play on Thursday, while NFL Network reported that he is going on injured reserve.

Seattle has lost five straight to the 49ers, including a playoff game. That’s the Seahawks’ longest skid in the series.

–Field Level Media

Unbeaten Chiefs enjoying better fortune than 2-2 Saints

The Kansas City Chiefs have played four one-score games, while the New Orleans Saints are tied for largest scoring margin in the NFL.

Yet the Chiefs are 4-0 and the Saints are 2-2 as these teams prepare to meet Monday night in Kansas City.

The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs keep finding ways to win games that go to the wire while the Saints have lost their last two games by squandering leads in the final moments.

The Chiefs have overcome a series of injuries to key skill players on offense. Running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire has yet to play while on the non-football illness list, though he did return to practice Wednesday and practiced again on Saturday and was listed as doubtful.

Running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula) and wide receiver Hollywood Brown (back) are on injured reserve and were joined Wednesday by wide receiver Rashee Rice, who sustained a knee injury in a 17-10 victory against the Chargers last week.

“There’s not another Rashee,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said, “but there are other guys that are very good so we’ll be fine.”

First-round draft choice Xavier Worthy is averaging 17.1 yards per catch and has two touchdown receptions, tight end Travis Kelce is Kansas City’s leading healthy receiver and fellow veterans Justin Watson and JuJu Smith-Shuster give quarterback Patrick Mahomes confidence.

“Those guys do it the right way,” Mahomes said. “They’re always in the right position. They do what they’re supposed to do, and I think having those guys is a luxury because you know that they’re going to be there and they’re going to get open and they’re going to make plays when their numbers are called.”

The Chiefs have been one of the most productive offenses in the NFL since Mahomes became a starter in 2018, but this season they rank just 14th in scoring offense (23 points per game) and total offense (328.3 yards per game). Still, they’ve been productive enough to be undefeated, thanks in part to being No. 7 in scoring defense (18.0).

New Orleans, which is No. 1 in scoring (31.8) and No. 9 in yards (349.0), rolled to victories in its first two games, routing the Panthers 47-10 and the Cowboys 44-19.

But two weeks ago, after the Saints score a go-ahead touchdown with 2:03 left in the game, Philadelphia drove 69 yards on five plays to a touchdown with 1:01 left and prevailed 15-12. Then, last week, New Orleans scored a go-ahead touchdown with 1:00 left, but Atlanta drove to Younghoe Koo’s winning 58-yard field goal with two seconds remaining in a 26-24 victory.

“I’m encouraged that we’ve given ourselves an opportunity to win every single game,” Saints head coach Dennis Allen said. “We could be sitting here 4-0, but that’s not the case and that’s the discouraging thing.”

The loss to the Falcons was especially frustrating because the Saints defense didn’t allow a touchdown, but a series of mistakes cost them.

Rashid Shaheed muffed a punt that Atlanta recovered in the end zone for a touchdown, a deflected Derek Carr pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown and a 30-yard defensive pass interference penalty on Paulson Adebo gave the Falcons all the yardage they needed for Koo’s winning kick.

“When you want to be a good team you’re going to play in a lot of tightly contested games,” Allen said, “and we’ve got to find ways to win those things.”

Five Saints players, four of them starters, were ruled out for the game Saturday — tight end Taysom Hill (ribs), guard Cesar Ruiz (knee), center Shane Lemieux (ankle), linebacker Willie Gay Jr. (hand) and defensive end Payton Turner (knee). No one on the Chiefs’ active roster missed practice on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Can Raiders ditch drama in time for trip to Denver?

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce isn’t paying any attention to outside noise as he tries to get his team ready for a meeting with the host Denver Broncos on Sunday.

Multiple media outlets reported Tuesday that star wide receiver Davante Adams told the Raiders (2-2) that he wants to be traded. Adams will be sidelined again on Sunday due to a hamstring injury that kept him out of Las Vegas’ 20-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns last week.

Pierce added another layer to the situation when he liked an Instagram post that said it wouldn’t be surprising if Adams’ days in Las Vegas were over. Whether Pierce meant to give out the like is unknown. When asked about it, all he said was, “Yeah, I’m focused on Denver.”

Pierce added of the contest against the Broncos (2-2), “That’s my only focus. I get paid here to get ready each and every week for the opponent. I don’t blink. I don’t flinch. I’ve said it before: I’ve been through enough in my life with adversity and stuff that it doesn’t bother me. I just move forward.

“The next obstacle in front of me is the Denver Broncos, and that’s what I presented to my team.”

Denver poses quite the obstacle, boasting one of the best defenses in the league through the first four weeks of the season. The Broncos allow the third-fewest points per game (13.8) and third-fewest passing yards per game (146.0), which could spell trouble for an Adams-less Raiders offense.

One player who could see an expanded role for Las Vegas is rookie tight end Brock Bowers. While he has yet to find the end zone, the first-round pick out of Georgia is second among all tight ends in receptions (20) and receiving yards (216). He is coming off his quietest game as a pro, as he caught only two balls for 19 yards against the Browns.

With the help of its defense, Denver will try to snap an eight-game losing streak against Las Vegas that dates back to 2020. It’s a skid that doesn’t intimidate Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton.

“We’ve got a big game Sunday,” Sutton said. “The most important game is the one we’re about to get ready to go play. Whatever happened in the past is the past. The thing we can focus on is this team we have right now and the team we’re about to go play this year.”

Sutton hauled in three catches for 60 yards and was responsible for the only touchdown scored by either side in Denver’s 10-9 win over the New York Jets last Sunday.

Denver rookie Bo Nix completed 12 of 25 passes for 60 yards and the score — his first career touchdown pass — against the Jets, and he is looking forward to his first taste of the rivalry between the Broncos and Raiders.

“I don’t think you really truly understand it, I think, until you play in your first one,” Nix said. “I’m excited to play Sunday. I know it’s important for this organization.”

Las Vegas enters the game short-handed, as six players were ruled out on Friday due to injuries. The players unavailable on Sunday include Adams, running back Zamir White (groin), right tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee, ankle), linebacker Luke Masterson (knee), safety Trey Taylor (knee) and cornerback Decamerion Richardson (hamstring).

In addition, Raiders tight end Michael Mayer will be absent due to personal reasons for a second straight week. Defensive end Maxx Crosby (ankle) was listed as questionable.

The Raiders placed Masterson on injured reserve on Saturday, signed defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson from the practice squad to the active roster and designated running back Sincere McCormick and wide receiver Alex Bachman as game-day elevations.

Broncos running back Tyler Badie, who sustained a back injury against the Jets, was the only Denver player to miss practice on Friday. He already was ruled out for the game when the team placed him on injured reserve on Saturday. Denver elevated inside linebacker Levelle Bailey from the practice squad.

–Field Level Media

Bills look to get swagger back against Texans in big early battle

The Buffalo Bills’ trip to face the Houston Texans on Sunday is arguably the marquee early game on the NFL schedule for Week 5.

Add in the opportunity for Stefon Diggs to get back at his most recent employer, and this one carries a level of intrigue that will make even casual fans want to tune in.

Diggs played from 2020-23 for Buffalo, tallying at least 103 receptions in all four seasons and catching a total of 37 touchdown passes. However, when the offense became more run-oriented late last year following the firing of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, Diggs made noises about his reduced role.

The Bills traded him along with two late-round picks to Houston on April 3 for a second-round pick in next year’s draft. They also swallowed $31 million of dead salary-cap money in the trade, the most a team has taken on to move a wide receiver.

So far, Diggs has 25 catches for 233 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score, providing second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud with a veteran target and taking pressure off younger receivers such as Nico Collins. With Diggs attracting extra attention from opponents, Collins leads the league with 489 receiving yards.

“What makes Diggs a good fit is, first, he’s a smart player,” second-year Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He can play multiple positions, so we’re able to move him around a lot to try to get him in favorable matchups.

“And he has some of the best hands that I’ve seen. He does a good job catching the ball, but just his ability to play multiple spots for us really opens the playbook up.”

Diggs caught five passes for 69 yards last week as the Texans (3-1) topped Jacksonville 24-20, enabling them to stay atop the AFC South by a game over the Indianapolis Colts.

Meanwhile, Diggs’ old team wore its first loss last week, getting routed 35-10 in Baltimore as Derrick Henry turned back the clock to his Tennessee Titans prime for 199 yards on 24 carries with two total touchdowns. Buffalo (3-1) was outrushed 271 yards to 81.

It was a striking result for the AFC’s highest-scoring offense (30.5 points per game), as the Bills managed only 236 total yards (to the Ravens’ 427) and picked up only 12 first downs to Baltimore’s 22.

The Bills’ defense also took a hit off the field Wednesday when linebacker Von Miller drew a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. The active leader among NFL players in sacks with 126.5, Miller is tied for the team lead this season with three.

“The job is to move forward, right? I’ve really been proud of the way the guys have stepped up,” Buffalo coach Sean McDermott said. “They’ve had to deal with quite a few situations, injuries, now in this case the suspension with Von. So I expect the same, quite honestly.”

One thing that could help offset Miller’s absence would be the presence of Terrel Bernard on the field. Buffalo’s starting middle linebacker was out the past two games with a pectoral injury but returned to practice on a limited basis this week and is listed as questionable for Sunday.

The Bills’ leading receiver Khalil Shakir (18 catches, 230 yards, two touchdowns) as well as defensive tackles Ed Oliver and Austin Johnson and safety Taylor Rapp have been ruled out for Sunday’s game. Shakir (ankle), Johnson (oblique) and Rapp (concussion protocol) did not practice all week after sustaining their respective injuries in the loss to the Ravens. Oliver, however, sustained a hamstring injury during practice on Thursday.

The Texans have ruled out running back Joe Mixon (ankle) as well as defensive linemen Derek Barnett (shoulder), Jerry Hughes (hip) and Kurt Hinish (calf). Running back Dameon Pierce (hamstring), who has played in only one game this season, was among six Houston players listed as questionable.

In better news, receiver Tank Dell, who missed last Sunday’s victory over the Jaguars because of bruised ribs, was a limited participant in practices Wednesday and Thursday. Dell practiced in full on Friday and was not given a designation.

The teams have split 10 regular-season meetings. Buffalo took a 40-0 win in the clubs’ last matchup three years ago in Orchard Park, N.Y.

–Field Level Media