The Atlanta Falcons are coming off a solid win, beating the Commanders 34-27 in Week 4 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After a 2-2 start, the bye week was supposed to give head coach Raheem Morris time to analyze his team’s season so far. “It’s definitely a chance to go back and look at everything that you’ve done from all three phases of the ball,” Morris had said after the Washington game. But things haven’t exactly gone to plan for him. Instead of this being a chance to rest and recuperate for the matchup against the Bills, the bye week has compounded Atlanta’s injury woes.

Let’s take a closer look at the players who’ll miss the match against Buffalo:

The first one on the list is defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham, who has been a full participant so far in the practices but missed the one on Saturday (October 11) due to a calf injury. He is ruled out for the Week 6 game.

Cornerback Natrone Brooks, who is dealing with a concussion as well as a shoulder issue, has been deemed ‘questionable’ by FALCONSWIRE for the Bills matchup, although he di

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney hurt his hamstring in the Week 4 win over the Commanders. This was his second injury this season. He sustained a right shoulder injury on the first day of training camp, which saw him miss the entire camp and Week 1.

Mooney is ruled for the game. With the WR sidelined, the Falcons will likely lean more on second-year receiver Casey Washington to step up. As for cornerback Clark Phillips III, he will miss his fourth game of the season due to a tricep injury. He has only played in one game so far, recording a single solo tackle.

Defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. is dealing with a knee issue and is considered questionable for the game. On the other hand, defensive lineman LaCale London is dealing with a triceps injury. He was a limited participant in the practices before being labeled as DNP on Saturday’s practice. He is ruled out of the game.

In his absence, defensive tackles Sam Roberts and Brandon Dorlus will get more reps. Safety Xavier Watts, inside linebacker Kaden Elliss, tackle Jake Matthews, Edge rusher Leonard Floyd, and defensive lineman David Onyemata have no injury designation.

While Watts has been a full participant in Saturday’s practice, both Elliss and Matthews saw limited action to avoid injuries. Both Floyd and Onyemata missed the practices last week and were downgraded to DNP on Saturday.

Running back Nate Carter and wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge were full participants in Saturday’s practice. The same goes for cornerback A.J. Terrell, who saw limited participation earlier. These players aren’t listed.

Facing a rampant Buffalo Bills is no mean task on best of days, but with these many injuries, Raheem Morris’ task just became even more difficult. On the other side, Bills HC Sean McDermott will also be missing many key players.

Sean McDermott is in the same boat as Raheem Morris

Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who is dealing with a pectoral injury, is ruled out for the game, while the good news for the team is that defensive tackle Ed Oliver is set to get back in action soon. He is expected to miss four games.

The same goes for defensive tackle T.J. Sanders, who is nursing his knee issue. He is also put in IR. “We were weighing the options,”  McDermott shared. “And seeing what one day at a time would do in terms of improving his situation. It didn’t look like it was improving, so we decided to (have him) get surgery and put him on IR.”

Outside linebacker Matt Milano is also listed as “out,” dealing with pectoral injuries. He sustained the injuries during the game against the New England Patriots. 

Tight end Dalton Kincaid is questionable due to an oblique injury, while wide receiver Curtis Samuel’s status remains uncertain with neck and rib concerns. Both saw limited participation on Saturday.

With the injuries forming the backdrop of this high profile clash, who do you think will come out on top? Share your thoughts in the comments.