The Buffalo Bills released their final injury report for Week 6, and it appears defensive tackle Marcell Dareus will miss another week. Dareus opened the season on the suspended list, but after his four-game suspension ended, he remained sidelined with a hamstring injury. He has yet to return to the practice field, and is listed as doubtful for Week 6 vs. the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Rex Ryan would not formally rule him out, but it seems unlikely he plays.
I sent a quick email over to Chris Trapasso of Buffalo Rumblings to get his thought on what the continued absence of Dareus means. Here’s what he had to say:
The absence of Dareus, on paper, is huge, but really, somehow, the Bills defense hasn't really missed him all that much. It's difficult to figure out why exactly that's been the case, but Rex's scheme rotates personnel so much that even career backups and depth guys have been kept fresh, and the linebackers have played exceptionally well behind Buffalo's defensive front.
The Bills defensive front has been quite solid this season. Lorenzo Alexander and Jerry Hughes have combined for 11 sacks, and the Bills’ defense ranks No. 4 in adjusted sack rate. The unit is in the middle of the pack against the run, rankings No. 15 in adjusted line yards. The 49ers have done a better job in pass protection than against the run, so we’ll see what this weekend brings in that regard.
Bills final injury report
Doubtful: Marcell Dareus (hamstring)
Questionable: OT Cordy Glenn (ankle), CB Corey White (shoulder), DT Corbin Bryant (ankle), P Colton Schmidt (quad), OL Patrick Lewis (knee), LB Zach Brown (ankle), S Aaron Williams (ankle), TE Charles Clay (knee), OT Cyrus Kouandjio (ankle)