Buffalo's injury list got a bit longer on Monday. A week after losing starting right tackle Brad Butler and starting tight end Derek Schouman for the season, Buffalo may be without three of their four starting defensive backs this coming Sunday in Miami.
Leodis McKelvin, Bryan Scott and Donte Whitner were all injured in Sunday's loss to New Orleans and at the very least the Bills will be without McKelvin this weekend against the Dolphins. After describing Whitner's thumb injury as "week-to-week" head coach Dick Jauron said McKelvin is out indefinitely.
"Leodis has a fracture of the lower leg," said Jauron. "That one is going to be a little longer. We'll just have to see how long that will be with a fractured bone in his lower leg."
The affected bone is the fibula, an injury that first affected him last week, but he was able to get through the practice week and play on Sunday before he suffered the fracture and was forced to leave the game.
Whitner's situation is up in the air for Sunday as he underwent surgery on his thumb, which was injured late in the second half after making a tackle. Jauron would not rule Whitner out for Sunday's game.
"We're not certain about Donte which is why I said we'll go week to week with that," he said.
If he's unable to go Bills rookie second-round pick Jairus Byrd would be his replacement. Byrd saw playing time this past week even prior to the injury to Whitner as the team went with a three safety look for portions of the game with Byrd coming onto the field as the third safety where he played deep with Bryan Scott, while Whitner was up in the box.
Scott however, suffered an ankle injury in Sunday's game.
"He's at the doctors right now being further evaluated with MRIs or x-rays or whatever they do," said Jauron. "We'll know more about that as the week goes on."
Jauron also said the status for left tackle Demetrius Bell is undetermined. The second-year tackle left the game in the second half with a groin injury and did not return. He was replaced by veteran Kirk Chambers.
