Two key Bills' defenders practicing fully with Chiefs coming to town

Whether or not they'll be 100 percent in time for Sunday's home game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills' starting linebackers Terrel Bernard and Matt Milano have taken a positive step forward.

Both veterans participated on a limited basis in practice last week while nursing injuries, but they turned it up on Wednesday in Orchard Park.

"Milano and Terrel Bernard will both be full," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott prior to practice as Buffalo ramps up to host the Kansas City Chiefs on November 2.

Milano has missed the last two games sandwiched around the Bills' bye week. After injuring his pectoral midway through the Week 2 win over the New York Jets, Milano returned in Week 5 only to reaggravate the injury late in the first half against the New England Patriots.

The 31-year-old Milano has performed well in limited action, and his elite instincts seem sharp. He recorded 15 tackles and 1.0 sack over 100 snaps spread across three different starts.

Jan 12, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) runs for a gain as Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano (58) defends during the second quarter in an AFC wild card game | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Bernard tweaked his ankle in the Week 6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, and the team captain remained limited coming out of the bye. Although he dressed for the October 26 win over the Carolina Panthers, Bernard did not see any action.

While some tried to create a narrative around the possibility that McDermott's decision to hold Bernard back was performance based, the head coach sounded as confident as ever in his defensive leader on Wednesday.

"He's always done a good job and always looking to improve. He sees it the way we do. His eye is very similar to a coach's eye in terms of where he can improve and where he's doing really well," said McDermott.

Bernard has taken heat for his performance defending the run thus far this fall. He's the man in the middle for a defense that ranked 31st amongst NFL teams against the run through the season's first six games.

Entering Week 9 as the Bills' second-leading tackler (30), Bernard has three tackles-for-loss, two quarterback hits, two fumble recoveries and a game-sealing interception.

While the analytics nerds, specifically PFF, have never been fond of Bernard, the Bills' defense will be better equipped to face Kansas City if Bernard and Milano are fully available.

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