The Buffalo Bills were already locked into a Wild Card spot when they faced the New York Jets in Week 18. And still, the Bills decided to have tight end Dalton Kincaid suit up.
He entered the game questionable with a knee injury. But head coach Sean McDermott wanted to get him a bit of momentum heading into the playoffs, via Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com.
“I thought it was important that we got him going a little bit. Not too much to where he was too sore to come back and practice,” McDermott said. “So just some momentum, some wind at his back here.”
The tight end only played 10 snaps, but still managed to catch three passes for 48 yards. Kincaid's knee injury held him out of Week 17, meaning Buffalo will be paying close attention heading into the playoffs. But the fact he was able to suit up will at least make the Bills much more optimistic about Kincaid's status.
Injuries have limited Kincaid to just 12 games this season. In that time, he has caught 39 passes for 571 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. If the Bills are in the red zone, Kincaid is one of their top targets. They'll need him to play a pivotal role against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round and beyond; if they advance.
All eyes will be on quarterback Josh Allen when the Bills' offense is on the field. But he'll need his playmakers to come through to take home the victory. Assuming he suffers no setbacks, Kincaid looks likely to be one of those pass catchers in the Wild Card Round.
