The Buffalo Bills pulled out an amazing road win over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, but they lost their starting right tackle in the process.
The rock-solid Spencer Brown left the October 12 primetime game after 16 offensive snaps due to an apparent back flare-up in the second quarter.
Brown went down following a 1st-and-15 snap from the Bills' 37-yard line with 6:22 remaining in the first half. The play was a wide receiver screen to the right that Khalil Shakir took for a six-yard gain. Brown did not appear to suffer injury as a result of contact as he was trailing the action seemingly unimpeded before grabbing at his back.
Initially tabbed as questionable to return, Brown was shown walking into the locker room on the ESPN broadcast. The Bills eventually ruled him out midway through the second half.
"I don't have anything on Spence. Obviously, he couldn't finish the football game. We'll have to kind of evaluate what that kind of looks like," said Bills' head coach Joe Brady after the 37-34 overtime win.
The 28-year-old Brown, who is on a four-year contract reportedly worth $72 million, has a history of back issues that required surgery following the 2021 season.
In 2025, a flare-up caused Brown to begin training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list. Fortunately, back problems have not noticeably limited the right tackle's availability over the years. He's averaging 15 regular season appearances per year for his career.
Backup Tylan Grable filled in for Brown, playing the remaining 48 offensive snaps at right tackle. He committed two penalties, but seemed serviceable overall. Grable, a 2024 sixth-round pick, was initially ahead of Ryan Van Demark on the depth chart as a rookie before an injury set him back.
Other Bills' injuries on Monday
Starting cornerback Christian Benford was sidelined for five plays after appearing to reaggravate his toe injury.
Tightly covering Rams' wide receiver Puka Nacua on a 3rd-and-3 play with about 10:00 remaining in regulation, Benford's toe seemed to hit the ground hard as he tackled the pass-catcher after a four-yard gain. He was cleared to return later in the fourth quarter.
The toe issue initially popped up in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Chargers, forcing him out of the 24-16 victory. Benford missed the every practice the following week, and the Bills scratched him from the lineup for the October 4 game against the New England Patriots.
Starting safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson went down with what looked to be a potential knee injury with 00:55 remaining in the third quarter. Apparently, it was just a scare as he returned with 11:23 left in the fourth quarter.
The Bills were playing without wide receivers DJ Moore and Josh Palmer, who were scratched due to injury. Starting slot cornerback Dee Alford was also unavailable due to an ankle issue.
WIth a Week 6 road game against the Las Vegas Raiders on October 18, Buffalo is not traveling back home to Orchard Park and will remain out west for practice.
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