On Monday night, Buffalo Bills‘ starting cornerback Dane Jackson received a neck injury after a crash with a teammate during the team’s 41-7 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
The accident happened when Jackson attempted to stop Treylon Burks from catching the ball. Jackson failed to prevent Burks from making the catch, but he successfully took him down. Tremaine Edmunds then crashed into them as they fell, causing Jackson’s neck injury.
The game was halted for almost 10 minutes. Team medics lifted Jackson onto a stretcher and placed him into an ambulance. His teammates encircled Jackson during the process, with Edmunds staying close the entire time.
“The entire #Bills team is on the field for Dane Jackson, whose head and neck was bent back in an awkward, violent collision with a teammate,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network wrote in a tweet.
Reporter Sal Capaccio said that he saw Jackson moving his legs, according to ClutchPoints.
“Dane Jackson has full movement in his extremities, which is good,” Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters after the game. “But we are still awaiting more updates. I was able to see him in the ambulance at halftime and we are all sending our prayers to him.”
Jackson took injured Tre’Davious White’s position at the start of the season. The Bills recruited Jackson in the 2020 NFL Draft. In 22 career games, Jackson has amassed 56 tackles, 11 passes defended, and one interception. He made five total tackles, one pass, and one interception in the team’s season opener last week against the Los Angeles Rams. After Jackson’s injury, Rookies Christian Benford and Kaiir Elam took over.
“You go from being a coach to just being a human when I’m out there watching him getting loaded into the ambulance. That’s a real moment,” McDermott said.
Buffalo Bills vs. Tennessee Titans
Despite the terrible accident, the Bills still claimed victory over the Titans. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs played a significant role in the Monday night game.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Diggs has become another player with multiple three-touchdown-catch performances. Diggs performed 12 catches for 148 yards and three touchdowns in that game. Diggs scored two of his three touchdowns in the third quarter. He worked well with Allen, who amassed 327 total yards and 4 touchdowns.
The Titans put up a fight with Derrick Henry ramming his way into the end zone after Allen connected with fullback Reggie Gilliam on a screen ball to put the Bills on the board first. But the Bills dominated the rest of the game.
The Titans managed to get a rare stop, but they made several mistakes that let the Bills maintain a strong lead.
“We got our asses kicked, plain and simple,” Titans’ head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters in his postgame assessment.
According to Jordan Dajani of CBS, the Bills took advantage of the Titans’ top cornerback Kristian Fulton’s absence. Without Fulton, the rest of the Titans’ secondary units were “young and inexperienced.”
“Former first-round pick Caleb Farley was playing in his fifth career game, and then Roger McCreary and Tre Avery are rookies,” Dajani said.
“All three struggled to stop this explosive offense, especially Farley. It’s tough anytime Jake Kumerow cooks you for a 39-yard gain.”
The Bills’ next game is against the Miami Dolphins, who are also 2-0, while the Titans will be playing against the Las Vegas Raiders.