The Buffalo Bills will be without one of their key defensive pieces when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5. According to agent Jack Bechta, Bills’ star safety Micah Hyde is landing on injured reserve with a neck injury, keeping him out a minimum of the next four games, but according to his tweet, it’s an injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season.
That obviously means Hyde will miss the Week 5 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hyde is one of the league’s most underrated safeties and made up one of the game’s best tandems next to Jordan Poyer. Through two games this year, Hyde had recorded seven tackles. Last season was a breakout year, picking off five passes while being named to the Second Team All-Pro squad.
The Bills’ secondary is dealing with several injuries right now. In addition to losing Hyde, Poyer has missed practice time with a foot injury and is questionable for this weekend’s game against the Miami Dolphins. The team has also been without star CB Tre White, on Reserve/PUP after tearing his ACL last season.
Buffalo’s defense has been elite the first two weeks and is one reason why the Bills are viewed as potential Super Bowl favorites. They’ve given up just 17 points through two games and dominated the Tennessee Titans last Thursday night, recording four turnovers, two sacks, and a defensive touchdown in a 41-7 rout. But maintaining that level of dominance with their injured pieces will be tougher to do and is a small sliver of hope for a Steelers offense that will need to score points to keep up with Buffalo’s potent attack, led by QB Josh Allen and WR Stefon Diggs.