NFL
Cardinals - Bills injury report for NFL week 1: Xavier Weaver, Dawuane Smoot and Javon Solomon
The Cardinals will be looking to improve on the disappointment of last couple of seasons. They start the new season on the road as guests of the Bills.
After two relatively underwhelming seasons, the Cardinals are hoping for something better in 2024. Jonathan Gannon’s team travel to Buffalo for the campaign opener against the Bills. They last met in November 2020, a game that will be remembered if nothing else for Kyler Murray’s last gasp, 43-yard pass straight to DeAndre Hopkins as it ended 32-30.
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Contrasting seasons for the Bills and Cardinals
The Bills have the edge in the head-to-head stats, with seven wins to Arizona’s five - in Buffalo, the Cardinals are 1-4, with their last win back in October 1971 (28–23). Sean McDermott’s men also enjoyed a better run last time out, finishing the regular season 11-6 and reached the Divisional playoffs, where they eliminated by the eventual champions, the Chiefs.
After losing both of their opening games in the last two campaigns, Murray and Co. will be looking to pull of a surprise and get this season off to a good start.
They will be without wide receiver Xavier Weaver who missed training for the whole of last week with an oblique strain and was definitely ruled out on Friday. Gannon has enough cover for the position in Zach Pascal and Chris Moore. Two players are listed as questionable - Safety Joey Blount has been nursing a back injury but was back for Friday’s practice while Tight End Tip Reiman is also questionable after struggling to overcome an ankle issue.
Bills coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Javon Solomon will sit the season opener out. The rookie defensive end has missed all of the week’s practice sessions with an oblique injury. Elsewhere, DE Dawaune Smoot is listed as questionable and his status will be monitored leading up to the game. There was some positive news as QB Mitch Trubisky (knee), Safety Cole Bishop (shoulder), TE Quintin Morris (shoulder) and WR Curtis Samuel (toe) all returned from the sick bay on Thursday.
The 2024 NFL Week 1 regular season game between the Arizona Cardinals and the Buffalo Bills will take place at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York on Sunday 8 September, kicking off at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.
The game will be streamed live on CBS through Paramount+ as well as on NFL Sunday Ticket via YouTube and YouTube TV.