Dalton Kincaid and the Buffalo Bills are in an unexpected rough patch. Their four-game winning streak to start the season came to a screeching halt when Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots upset them at home on Oct. 5. They were also knocked over the following week when the Atlanta Falcons beat them 24-14, sending them into their bye week on a losing streak.
Buffalo hasn’t won a game in October, so they’ll be looking to right the ship this week against the Carolina Panthers. Surprisingly, the Panthers have just as many wins as the Bills (4).
Buffalo would like to have as many players as possible healthy for this matchup, and tight end Kincaid is a notable name on their injury report. Being one of quarterback Josh Allen’s most reliable weapons on offense, let’s explore his status for Week 8.
Will Dalton Kincaid Play Against the Panthers in Week 8?
Kincaid’s troubles started on Oct. 9, when he wore a non-contact jersey at practice. It was later revealed that he was working through an oblique issue. He failed to overcome the apparent issue and was ruled out for their primetime clash with the Falcons.
Despite having a bye week to recover, the tight end couldn’t upgrade his status, having still been limited on Thursday, with his weekend status up in the air.
On Friday, Kincaid was officially listed as questionable for Week 8. However, NFL.com projects that he’ll be healthy for their road clash in Carolina.
Kincaid has become a big part of Buffalo’s offense this season, leading all Bills tight ends with 287 yards and three touchdowns on 20 catches (14.4 yards per catch) in five games.
The Bills have missed him, with their red zone touchdown rate dropping from around 66 to 46 percent over the last two games. With the Panthers giving up the sixth-most fantasy points to tight ends, having Kincaid back could be what Buffalo needs to get back on track.
If his situation doesn’t improve, head coach Sean McDermott will turn to backups Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes to support the rushing and passing games.
Knox has been producing measured numbers in his complementary role on offense this season. While he has yet to record more than 20 receiving yards, he bagged a touchdown catch in their Week 6 game against the Falcons, with Kincaid absent.
He could see a 3-down role this week if Kincaid is ruled out, given the recent trend in the Bills’ offense. Although Hawes featured in a complementary role at the start of the season, the rookie out of Georgia Tech has yet to put up any numbers in October.
The Panthers are on a three-game winning streak heading into Sunday’s matchup, and it’ll be interesting to see whether McDermott and company can turn things around.
