The Kansas City Chiefs have a primetime tilt against the Washington Commanders on the docket for Week 8. The Chiefs may have an advantage as the Commanders' kicker, Matt Gay, is questionable for this contest with a back problem.
Nonetheless, Kansas City is focused on the task at hand, but they were also gifted an upper hand against the Buffalo Bills on Monday morning. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Buffalo fears that defensive tackle Ed Oliver tore his biceps and will be sidelined for an extended period of time.
With the Chiefs traveling to play the Bills in Week 9, Kansas City won't have to worry about facing Oliver.
Ed Oliver Set to Miss Week 9 Game vs. Chiefs
In the contest against the Panthers, Oliver left the game right before the two-minute warning in the first half. He ended up leaving the stadium in a sling, and Buffalo's fears seem to be confirmed. This is a massive blow to their defensive tackle room, which already has DaQuan Jones and rookie T.J. Sanders missing time.
It continues to be an injury-plagued season for Oliver, who missed four games this season with an ankle injury. Following the contest against Carolina, Oliver posted on his Instagram story, "Me and football like oil and water right now."
This isn't what Buffalo needed, as he's one of their best defensive players. In three games this season, he has recorded 12 total tackles, seven TFLs, five QB hits, and three sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, he has an 83.2 overall grade, 63.9 pass-rush grade, and a 89.4 run-defense grade.
The Bills will now be focused on relying on a collection of Larry Ogunjobi, Deone Walker, and Jordan Phillips in the matchup against Kansas City. And that could be a recipe for success in KC's favor.
These teams have built an intense rivalry over the last couple of seasons, and this matchup will just add to the history of it.
Buffalo has been able to still been able to be a solid defensive unit (12th in total defense and ninth in scoring defense), but this loss can't be overstated. When playoff seeding comes into question later on in the year, this could be a matchup that impacts the postseason bracket. And with Oliver slated to miss this game, that could benefit the Chiefs not only in Week 9 but also if the two teams meet in January.