Buffalo Bills Tackle Ed Oliver Inactive Against Detroit Lions

Warmup injury sidelines Oliver

The Buffalo Bills received bad news right before kickoff on Thursday night. Standout defensive tackle Ed Oliver injured his hip during pregame warmups and was ruled out as a surprise inactive against the Detroit Lions.

Losing Oliver removes a major force from the defensive front. The 2019 ninth overall draft pick has compiled 30 sacks in eight seasons with the Bills. In his previous outing, a 36-31 win over the Houston Texans last Sunday, Oliver produced five tackles, one quarterback hit, and one fumble recovery.

Oliver was expected to lead the interior pass rush and disrupt Lions quarterback Jared Goff. That pressure was supposed to feed off the loud atmosphere during the opening of the new Highmark Stadium, where crowd noise was anticipated to cause communication problems for the Detroit offense.

Walker steps up as Lions lean on Gibbs

With Oliver sidelined and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders also out, the Bills will lean on their defensive depth. Second year lineman Deone Walker is set to take on heavy snaps. Walker enters the game after an active performance last week, when he collected six tackles and one sack.

Buffalo is somewhat prepared for this situation, having played without Oliver when he appeared in only three games during the 2025 season.

They will face a Detroit offense that is poised to rely on running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Running behind an offensive line that is banged up, Gibbs carried the ball 29 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns in an overtime victory over the Saints last Sunday. His running ability will be tested against a reorganized Buffalo defensive interior.

What it means for the next game

Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills (NFL, Fri, 18 Sep): Buffalo Bills win 66%, Detroit Lions win 34%; projected score Buffalo Bills 28, Detroit Lions 24. Our safest pick: Bills to win. Our best value pick: Under 53.5 points.