DECEMBER 28: Following this afternoon’s Week 17 loss to the Eagles, McDermott told reporters that, while Oliver is still moving in a positive direction, the 28-year-old “suffered a bit of a setback with his recovery this week,” per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. The ninth-year head coach didn’t offer any update on Oliver’s recovery timeline, but what has been a nine-week absence was already expected to continue into the postseason, so there’s a chance the veteran defender could struggle to make it back before the Bills’ season ends.
DECEMBER 25: At 11-4, the Bills have already clinched a playoff berth with two weeks remaining in the regular season. They’ve done so despite the long-term absence of one of their top defensive linemen, Ed Oliver, but a playoff return is a possibility. The Bills hope to get the 287-pound tackle back from injured reserve sometime during the postseason, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic.
Buffalo is still in play for the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, though that’s an extreme long shot. The likelihood is the Bills will finish second in the AFC East behind the Patriots, ending a five-year run atop the division. That would set the Bills up to go on the road on wild-card weekend, which looks like the earliest possible comeback for Oliver.
Now in his seventh NFL season, Oliver has appeared in just three of 15 games. He was the Bills’ best defender in a Week 1 win over the Ravens, but an ankle injury suffered in practice shelved the 28-year-old for the next four games. Oliver returned to play in two contests before going down with a biceps tear in Week 8. He has been on IR since then.
While Oliver has only amassed 108 defensive snaps this year, he has made a noticeable impact when healthy. The former first-round pick piled up 12 tackles, seven TFL, five QB hits, and three sacks during his brief regular season.
It’s a small sample, but Pro Football Focus assigned Oliver a career-best grade of 90.4 against the run before he landed on the shelf. With Oliver out for most of 2025, the Bills have yielded the third-most rushing yards in the league. They eked out a 23-20 win over the Browns last Sunday despite allowing 160 ground yards on 31 attempts.
Oliver’s absence has left DaQuan Jones as the Bills’ most reliable interior D-lineman. Fourth-round rookie Deone Walker, second-round rookie T.J. Sanders, and veterans Larry Ogunjobi, Jordan Phillips, and Phidarian Mathis round out the group. There’s a steep drop-off from a healthy Oliver to any of those five.
Ogunjobi, who inked a one-year, $8.3MM deal with the Bills in free agency, has been particularly disappointing. The former Brown, Bengal and Steeler served a six-game PED suspension to begin his Bills tenure, and he has made little impact in eight games since returning. Head coach Sean McDermott made Ogunjobi a healthy scratch in Week 16.
It’s unknown if Ogunjobi will remain on the bench Sunday as Buffalo attempts to stay alive in the AFC East race for another week. Regardless, the Bills’ Oliver-less defense is in for a stiff test against the Eagles and their Saquon Barkley-led rushing attack. The Bills will then close out the regular slate with the Jets in Week 18, which may be the last time they’ll go without Oliver this season.
Don’t know where to put this but Merry Christmas Y’all!
This is the worst team the Bills have fielded since 2019 yet it’s also their best chance to win the Super Bowl. Go figure. Oliver’s return could change the complexion of this defense, so… fingers crossed. Go Bills! Happy holidays one and all!
I tried posting comments with fingers crossed but the results were even more frustrating than auto-correct 🙂
Buffalo “in play for the AFC’s No. 1 seed” is Lupica Logic. Bills have to win twice and have 3 teams above them all collapse — plus Jacksonville holds a tie-breaker on Buffalo.
Bills are playing for the 5 seed and a trip to Pittsburgh. They handled the Steelers pretty easily in Pittsburgh weeks ago.
The big question is can Tomlin keep his job if he loses a 7th consecutive playoff game?
The answer is Yes … Rodgers will be back as well. Imagine though if Baltimore and Cleveland won this weekend?
Tomlin has never had a losing season but yeah, let’s get rid of him cos he can’t win a playoff game.
Jack might want to know that the Chargers hold another tie-breaker on Buffalo going into the Saturday/Sunday games. Bills may have to go to Jax where it’s hot and humid.
Chargers have two brutal games left. So, we’ll see.
Josh Allen Hero Ball blew up in the Buffalo Bills’ collective face. And it happened on America’s NFC East Game Of The Week®.
McDermott too. Not sure why they felt like going for 2. The Eagles didn’t complete a pass in the 2nd half and could not move the ball. Bills likely win in OT.
He went for two because he didn’t want to see Allen take anymore of the beating he was getting.
Gutsy performance though, with his x-ray, negative after the game. I felt they should have went for the extra point as well but he had Shakir open. How much will he play next week?
Allen reminded me of Stafford getting beat up and battered by the birds. Gutsy must mean looking like you just went 12 rounds with Mike Tyson and should take a year off.
This loss might have been a blessing in disguise. Josh can take his one snap and then sit next week. Maybe even sit Cook. Hell, sit everyone who really matters.
Cook will play long enough to get the rushing crown. Good chance for Biscuit to get some action while Allen mends. I would sit Bosa and Milano as well.
Bills play late afternoon in Week 18. Should Houston lose early in the day, Buffalo can poach the AFC #5 seed. And the Bills do not hold any playoff tie-breakers.