Bills Set to Be Without Two Key Defensive Starters vs. Dolphins Thursday Night

Buffalo will be heavily favored against Miami.
Ed Oliver will miss his second straight week of action.
Ed Oliver will miss his second straight week of action. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Bills are broadly expected to dominate the Dolphins Thursday night—but Buffalo will have to do so without two defensive starters.

Linebacker Matt Milano and defensive tackle Ed Oliver will miss Thursday's game, Bills coach Sean McDermott told WGR-AM in Buffalo Wednesday morning via Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Milano, 31, is recovering from a pectoral injury that has held him out of multiple practices this week. The veteran has played in two games this season, recording a sack and nine total tackles. Since a 2022 career year that saw him make the All-Pro team, Milano has played in just 11 games in three seasons.

The 27-year-old Oliver, hindered by an ankle injury suffered in practice ahead of Buffalo's 30–10 win over the Jets Sunday, has played in just one game this year. He recorded a sack and six tackles in the Bills' wild 41–40 season-opening victory over the Ravens.

Buffalo, one of a quartet of unbeaten teams left in the AFC, will play back-to-back home games against the Saints and Patriots after hosting Miami.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .