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Alaina GetzenbergESPN
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills will be without two additional key offensive players this week, adding wide receiver Gabriel Davis and offensive lineman Cody Ford to the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Davis is unvaccinated, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and will be out Sunday vs. the New England Patriots (1 p.m. ET, CBS). Wide receiver Cole Beasley is also unvaccinated and will miss the game after being placed on the list earlier in the week.
Practice squad offensive lineman Bobby Hart is coming off the list Friday. Defensive line coach Eric Washington and special teams coordinator Heath Farwell have also been added to COVID protocols. Assistant special teams coach Matthew Smiley will take over coordinator responsibilities.
The Bills now have a total of eight players on the COVID-19 list, including three offensive lineman, with guard Jon Feliciano and left tackle Dion Dawkins also on the list. Ford was set to take one of the guard spots Sunday.
“It’s gonna be kind of interchangeable parts right now,” coach Sean McDermott said. “I hate to say that without giving you a straight answer here, but that’s the best I know. We’ll just see where we end up on Sunday. Right now, we’re averaging one (addition to the) COVID (list) a day, it seems like.”
Defensive end A.J. Epenesa is the other player from the active roster who remains on the COVID-19 list. Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (personal) is questionable for the game. He would be a significant absence for the Bills run defense.
The team has partially been practicing outside to help combat the spread of COVID and has been having virtual meetings. A majority of coaches was wearing masks as a precaution at Friday’s practice.
A boost to the Bills’ wide receiver group will be the return of Emmanuel Sanders, who missed last week with a knee sprain, but has no injury designation going into the game. He practiced in full Thursday.
Davis has four touchdowns in the last three games and has become the clear No. 2 receiver behind Stefon Diggs over the last stretch of the season. For the year, Davis has 29 receptions for 470 yards and six touchdowns. He is averaging 16.2 yards per reception. Wide receivers who could see a stepped-up role include Jake Kumerow and Isaiah McKenzie.
“(Davis’) been hot. We lose a guy that’s on a roll and he’s practiced most of the week, including yesterday, until we found out,” McDermott said. “I think we have valuable players and guys we depend on and trust that are in the wings that can step in and are expected to step up.”