Last season witnessed the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills battle it out for the AFC East title to end the regular season. Now, the defending division champion Bills will return to Hard Rock Stadium for Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football opener.
However, both teams are already dealing with their own share of injuries.
It’s time to dive into who’s in the inactive category, plus what the projected starting lineups look like.
Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins Inactives
Bills Designated as Out
- CB Taron Johnson
- DE Dawuane Smoot
Dolphins Designated as Out
Latest Injury Report News and Updates
Bills fans, for a brief moment, sustained a scare in Week 1 involving franchise quarterback Josh Allen.
The perennial Pro Bowl QB landed on his left hand during the fourth quarter of Buffalo’s opening home win over the Arizona Cardinals and needed a medical staff to examine him.
Allen, though, is likely to play on Thursday, per head coach Sean McDermott on Monday.
Buffalo’s most significant early injuries reside on defense, with starting nickel cornerback Taron Johnson going down after the seventh play of the first with a forearm injury. Johnson never returned, and McDermott doesn’t have a specific timetable for when Johnson can rejoin the Bills.
Smoot was an immediate scratch for the opener after injuring his foot during practice on Sept. 5.
The Dolphins themselves had their own scare in the opener versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey endured a hamstring ailment yet managed to play through it. He’s likely to be full go against Buffalo.
But Miami’s offense was the most battered. Running back De’Von Achane was reported as a non-participant in practices on Monday and Tuesday due to an ankle injury.
He’s listed as questionable for this AFC East matchup. There’s one more significant ailment in this room for Miami, as veteran RB Raheem Mostert is out with a chest ailment.
Wide receiver Malik Washington is the other Dolphin listed as inactive. He’s dealing with a quadriceps ailment.
Who Comprises the Starting Lineup for Each Team?
Bills Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based on the current Bills depth chart.
- Quarterback: Josh Allen
- Running Back: James Cook
- Fullback: Reggie Gilliam
- Wide Receivers: Mack Hollins, Curtis Samuel
- Tight End: Dalton Kincaid
- Left Offensive Tackle: Dion Dawkins
- Left Offensive Guard: David Edwards
- Center: Connor McGovern
- Right Offensive Guard: O’Cyrus Torrence
- Right Offensive Tackle: Spencer Brown
- Left Defensive End: Greg Rousseau
- Left Defensive Tackle: DaQuan Jones
- Right Defensive Tackle: Ed Oliver
- Right Defensive End: A.J. Epenesa
- Strongside Linebacker: Dorian Williams
- Middle Linebacker: Terrel Bernard
- Weakside Linebacker: Nicholas Morrow
- Left Cornerback: Christian Benford
- Right Cornerback: Rasul Douglas
- Free Safety: Damar Hamlin
- Strong Safety: Taylor Rapp
- Punter: Sam Martin
- Kicker: Tyler Bass
- Long Snapper: Reid Ferguson
- Punt Returner: Brandon Cordrington
- Kick Returner: Brandon Cordrington
Dolphins Projected Starters
The projected starting lineup is based off the current Dolphins depth chart.
- Quarterback: Tua Tagovailoa
- Running Back: De’Von Achane or Jaylen Wright
- Fullback: Alec Ingold
- Wide Receivers: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle
- Tight End: Jonnuu Smith
- Left Offensive Tackle: Terron Armstead
- Left Offensive Guard: Robert Jones
- Center: Aaron Brewer
- Right Offensive Guard: Liam Eichenberg
- Right Offensive Tackle: Austin Jackson
- Left Defensive End: Jaelan Phillips
- Left Defensive Tackle: Calais Campbell
- Right Defensive Tackle: Emmanuel Ogbah
- Right Defensive End: Zach Sieler
- Strongside Linebacker: David Long Jr.
- Middle Linebacker: Jordyn Brooks
- Weakside Linebacker: Duke Riley
- Left Cornerback: Jalen Ramsey
- Right Cornerback: Kendall Fuller
- Free Safety: Jevon Holland
- Strong Safety: Jordan Poyer
- Punter: Jake Bailey
- Kicker: Jason Sanders
- Long Snapper: Blake Ferguson
- Kick Returner: Braxton Berrios
- Punt Returner: Braxton Berrios