Buffalo Plus: Bills WR Injuries, Ed Oliver Returns? Buffalo Preps for Broncos

Date: January 14, 2026
Hosts: Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Buffalo Plus team discusses the Buffalo Bills' latest struggles with injuries, focusing particularly on the depleted wide receiver corps following Tyrell Shavers’ season-ending ACL tear. The group breaks down how the team and coaching staff are managing these setbacks, considers who might step up offensively, provides updates on key injured players including Ed Oliver, and previews challenges as the Bills prepare for the divisional round against the Denver Broncos—especially the implications of playing at elevation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Tyrell Shavers’ Season-Ending Injury

• News recap: Tyrell Shavers tore his ACL in Sunday's game against Jacksonville but astonishingly re-entered the game and contributed, particularly in the "tush push" play (00:48–01:37).
  • Mike Catalana: “He is blocking. He's putting more effort in than some of the guys on the Jags. When Josh was being pushed down the field 11 yards, he was doing that with a torn ACL ... he's done for the year.” (01:17)
• Coach’s praise: Sean McDermott highlighted Shavers' toughness and commitment.
  • Quote: “He embodies what we're all about... Remarkable toughness, remarkable commitment to the team.” — Sean McDermott (01:46)

2. Depleted Wide Receiver Room & Next Steps

• State of the WR corps: The group is now led by Keon Coleman (benched four times this year), Khalil Shakir (reliable but limited), and Brandon Cooks (added mid-season, increasingly effective). Depth and quality are lacking.
  • Jenna Cottrell: “There's only so much attrition you can handle as a group ... it's not just a room that doesn’t have quality. It doesn’t have quantity right now, and that's a big issue on a short week heading out to Denver.” (02:28–03:17)
• On Keon Coleman: Has not been consistent, describes his plays as “routine.” (02:52)
• Brandon Cooks: Becoming more reliable, but still not a complete solution.
• Roster moves: Christian Wilkerson signed (05:07), but little receiving help available on the market.

3. Josh Allen’s Response to Adversity

• QB mindset: Josh Allen maintains faith in the remaining receivers and emphasizes the need to adapt and maximize each player's strengths.
  • Quote: “Yeah, obviously not an ideal situation, but I still trust that room completely... I got no doubt that whoever's going to be up in those spots is going to do their job, step up, and help us win or help us make plays.” — Josh Allen (03:29; also echoed at 00:00)
• Stresses the importance of practice this week to develop timing and chemistry with new receiving combinations.

4. Coaching Challenges & Outlook

• Sean McDermott's approach: Acknowledges the brutal injury luck but focuses on “dealing with the cards we're dealt” (04:06–04:24).
• As a coach, dealing with both emotional impact on players and strategic pivoting for the next game is a balancing act. (04:24–05:07)

5. Possible Returns: Curtis Samuel & Ed Oliver

• Curtis Samuel: Feels better; wants to ramp up but faces time constraints. He’s experienced and knows his body (05:31–05:55).
• Ed Oliver: Optimistic but noncommittal about playing Saturday.
  • Quote: “I just started walking through today, so we’ll see. I'm optimistic. I'm excited, but I don't know yet.” — Ed Oliver (06:42)
  • Discussed the possibility of a limited snap count (15–20 snaps) for him, could be significant in the defensive line rotation (06:13–07:24).

6. Broncos Game: Mile-High Challenges

• Denver elevation: Discussed as a real factor, but one the team won’t focus on excessively.
  • Jenna Cottrell: “Josh Allen was asked ... [about elevation experience from] Wyoming. He was like, we can’t focus on that, we gotta be prepared. Which I think, there is a real element of that.” (08:07)
• No extra acclimation time; the Bills will travel to Denver just one day early (08:40–08:48).
• Discussion about not letting the challenge of altitude become a mental hurdle (“perseverate” segment, 09:23–09:46).

7. Broader Injury Report

• Key limited participants: Dalton Kincaid, Terrell Bernard, AJ Epenessa, Matt Milano, Greg Rousseau.
• Non-participants: Jordan Poyer, Max Tierston, Ty Johnson, Matt Prater (10:18).
  • Mike Catalana notes belief that Prater will be available and that the team is “beaten up but resilient.” (10:18)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tyrell Shavers’ grit:
  • “When Josh was being pushed down the field 11 yards, [Shavers] was doing that with a torn ACL ... he's done for the year.” — Mike Catalana (01:19)
• Team culture, per coach:
  • “He embodies what we're all about.” — Sean McDermott on Shavers (01:46)
• QB leadership:
  • “Not an ideal situation, but I still trust that room completely ... I got no doubt that whoever's going to be up... is going to do their job.” — Josh Allen (03:29)
• Ed Oliver’s optimism:
  • “I just started walking through today, so we’ll see. I'm optimistic. I'm excited, but I don't know yet.” — Ed Oliver (06:42)
• On Denver elevation:
  • “You can prepare for that ... but you can’t change that. ... Sometimes you can kind of perseverate on that.” — Jenna Cottrell (09:03)

Fun Moment

• Word of the day:
  • "Perseverate" becomes a lighthearted on-air vocabulary check, with Jenna and Mike debating its meaning and usage (09:23–09:48).

Important Timestamps

• 00:48 – News of Tyrell Shavers’ ACL injury and return to field
• 01:46 – Sean McDermott”s praise for Shavers’ toughness
• 02:28 – State of the WR room, depth issues, Keon Coleman’s inconsistency
• 03:29 – Josh Allen’s comments on adapting to WR injuries
• 04:06 – McDermott & coaches coping with extensive injuries
• 05:07 – WR depth, Wilkerson signing, lack of available talent
• 05:31 – Curtis Samuel’s status
• 06:13 – Ed Oliver injury update, possibility of return
• 08:07 – Mile-high challenge and the mental aspect of Denver’s elevation
• 09:18 – Full injury report rundown

Final Thoughts

Despite major injury setbacks, especially at receiver, the Bills remain focused on “making it work” (11:17). The team’s resilience is a recurring theme. The hosts also set the stage for continuing coverage from Denver, inviting listeners to engage and follow along as the playoff week unfolds.

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