Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions Inactive and Injury Reports for Thanksgiving Day

• In the Buffalo Bills vs Detroit Lions inactive and injury reports, Bills QB Josh Allen (right elbow) is listed as questionable but will be playing
• Cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion) is among four Lions starters who are out
• Both starting guards – Evan Brown (ankle) and Jonah Jackson (concussion) – will be missing for Detroit according to the Bills vs Lions injury report

As the Buffalo Bills are readying for a second straight game at Ford Field facing the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, there could be a sense of alarm at seeing quarterback Josh Allen with an injury designation as questionable on Buffalo’s injury report.

The fact of the matter is he’s been there for a few weeks now with a right elbow issue, and has just keeps on playing through it.

The real alarm bells should be sounding in the Lions locker room. Four Detroit starters are out for this game – two on offense and two on defense. Both of the team’s starting guards – RG Evan Brown (ankle) and LG Jonah Jackson (concussion) – will be missing from their positions. Starting RCB Jeff Okudah (concussion) and LDE Josh Paschal (knee) also aren’t suiting up for the game.

Bills Favored Over Lions

The NFL moved the Bills’ Week 11 victory over the Cleveland Browns to Detroit’s Ford Field following a major snowstorm in Buffalo. Oddsmakers are expecting that the Bills will be winning again in Detroit in Week 12. Buffalo is set as nine-point road favorites over Detroit in the Bills vs Lions picks.

Kickoff at Ford Field is set for 12:30 pm ET on Thursday, November 24. The weather forecast is calling for cloudy skies, 5 mph wind and a temperature of 47 degrees – not that it will matter inside climate-controlled Ford Field. CBS is carrying broadcast of the game.

Buffalo Bills Injury Report

The Bills are already confirming what everyone knew – Allen will be starting at QB. There’s less certainty about the status of center Mitch Morse, though. Although showing up on the injury list as questionable with an elbow injury, Morse was also seen wearing a walking boot following the Cleveland game.

Coach McDermott has ruled LB Tremaine Edmunds and DE Greg Rousseau out for tomorrow’s game.#BUFvsDET injury report: https://t.co/Ehnj9vtQQO pic.twitter.com/0ZBNfzV89V

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) November 23, 2022

On defense, the Bills are going to be without a pair of starters. The team was downgrading both LDE Greg Rousseau (ankle) and MLB Tremaine Edmunds (groin) from questionable to out.

Making Rousseau’s injury an even more concerning problem is that backup DE AJ Epenesa is doubtful with an ankle injury. The original anticipation was that backup CB Kaiir Elam (ankle) was going to be out for this game. However, the Bills are now listing him as playing on Thursday.

Detroit Lions Injury Report

Some bright spots are appearing on the final Lions injury report for this game. WR DJ Chark (ankle) and C Frank Ragnow (elbow) were both given upgrades from questionable to playing.

However, WR Josh Reynolds back is remaining questionable. Charles Harris, who lists behind Paschal on the Detroit depth chart at LDE, is also going to be missing for this game with a groin injury.

Lions HC Dan Campbell said he is ready for Jameson Williams to add a “vertical” element to the offense 👀 pic.twitter.com/b7rbSVFJhW

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) November 24, 2022

Detroit is confirming that RB DeAndre Swift (shoulder/ankle) will be playing. That will be giving the Lions a stellar 1-2 punch in the backfield along with Jamaal Williams, the NFL touchdown leader with 11.

WR and 2022 first-round draft pick Jameson Williams (knee), while eligible to be coming off the reserve/non-football injury list, won’t be activated for this game.

How Could Injuries Affect Bills vs Lions Lines?

With Swift and Jamaal Williams both playing for Detroit, the toughest call might be which one to go with in the Bills vs Lions player props?

Dan Skipper stepped in for Brown at RG in last week’s game against the New York Giants. Expectations are that Logan Stenberg and Kayode Awosika, the only other healthy offensive linemen on Detroit’s 53-player roster, will both see time at LG. This will be the fifth different OL combination deployed by Detroit this season.

Veteran Michael Brockers will slide from DT to DE to start in place of Rousseau. Jerry Jacobs is likely to make his second start this season in Okudah’s spot.

For Buffalo, it will be the third game in a row without Rousseau. Edmunds will be missing his second consecutive game.

Look for Boogie Basham to start for Rousseau. Tyrel Dodson will be stepping in for Edmunds.