It has been a rollercoaster-type season for the Buffalo Bills sitting on the fringes of the playoff picture. The path to the postseason got a bit more difficult for the Bills on Tuesday afternoon after losing a couple of key players in defensive end Shaq Lawson and wide receiver Jordan Matthews for rest of the season due to injury, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Matthews was dealing with a nagging knee injury over the last three weeks, initially forcing him to miss the 54-24 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 19. He was previously sidelined in the preseason due to a fractured sternum and he missed one game this season due to a broken thumb.

The 25-year-old was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles in August in exchange for cornerback Ronald Darby. Matthews finished the season with 25 catches for 282 receiving yards with one touchdown. His absence will likely lead to a much larger role for rookie Zay Jones in the passing game alongside Kelvin Benjamin and Charles Clay.

Lawson is in his second season after being selected in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He suffered an ankle injury in Sunday's 23-3 loss to the New England Patriots, requiring him to be carted off the field. In 11 games played, Lawson had 33 tackles, 4.0 sacks, two pass deflections, and a forced fumble.