The Buffalo Bills are heading into one of their most crucial divisional matchups of the season a bit short-handed. And the timing couldn’t be worse. As they gear up to take on the Miami Dolphins this Sunday, they’ll be missing three key starters, putting quarterback Josh Allen and head coach Sean McDermott in a tough spot with a lineup that’s looking a little thin. This game is packed with both playoff implications and historic significance.

The Bills have confirmed that cornerbacks Taron Johnson and Christian Benford, along with wide receiver Josh Palmer, will be sidelined for Week 10. Johnson and Benford both suffered groin injuries, while Palmer is still working his way back from knee and ankle issues. Each of them tried to push through during pregame warmups but ultimately couldn’t make the cut.

Benford’s absence is particularly damaging for Buffalo’s secondary. The team’s No. 1 cornerback suffered his injury in practice on Wednesday and was unable to recover in time. Without him, rookie Max Hairston and veteran Tre’Davious White will anchor the outside, while Cam Lewis and Ja’Marcus Ingram handle slot duties typically filled by Johnson. It’s a major reshuffle against a Dolphins offense that thrives on speed and precision.

On the offensive front, Palmer’s absence means more adjustments are needed. The Bills’ receiving group will now lean on Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Elijah Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Tyrell Shavers. Palmer had been practicing all week, so his late scratch suggests his recovery might take a bit longer.

The stakes are incredibly high. Buffalo has a chance to even the all-time series with Miami (62-61-1) for the first time in 56 years, a rivalry that goes back to 1966. The Bills have been on a roll lately, winning seven straight against the Dolphins and 14 of the last 15 matchups. But these injuries could really test that dominance.

For Josh Allen, who is 14-2 against Miami, this matchup now becomes more than a rivalry game. With three starters sidelined and the Dolphins desperate to salvage their season, Allen and the Bills will need another trademark divisional performance to keep their Super Bowl ambitions on track.

NFL fines Josh Allen and Elijah Moore after touchdown celebration

Josh Allen’s touchdown celebration against the Kansas City Chiefs drew more fines than it drew cheers.

After the Buffalo Bills clinched a 28-21 victory on Sunday, the NFL hit quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Elijah Moore with fines for what they called a “violent gesture” during their post-touchdown celebration. Following Allen’s one-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, he and Moore exchanged playful finger guns, a move the league later deemed inappropriate according to its unsportsmanlike conduct policy.

Allen was fined $14,491, while Moore received $13,888 for the same act. The NFL provided no reason for the $603 difference, though both players were cited for identical behavior. The fines fall under first-offense guidelines for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The league defended its decision, emphasizing a crackdown on gestures that could be interpreted as threatening. “There are plenty of ways for players to be able to celebrate,” said NFL officiating and rules analyst Walt Anderson. “So we want them to focus on those and not the inappropriate areas.”

It’s worth noting that neither Allen nor Moore directed their gesture at opposing players. But the NFL has ramped up its enforcement of “violent imagery” this season as part of a broader initiative to keep celebrations within certain conduct standards.

The penalties didn’t overshadow Allen’s performance, though. The Bills’ star finished with 273 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns, pushing Buffalo to 6-2 on the year. 

Still, the fine serves as a reminder that even lighthearted moments can prove costly in the league’s stricter era of celebration control.