Shaq Thompson made his return to the Buffalo Bills’ lineup felt with a thundering hit Thursday night.
The veteran linebacker submitted an early candidate for hit of the year when he dropped Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane for a 6-yard loss with about three minutes left in the second quarter of the
Bills’ 31-21 win at Highmark Stadium.
“It’s been a long time since I got to hit another opponent,” Thompson said. “You could say Week 1, but I didn’t really play. It just felt good to get out there, getting my feet back wet. … My whole thought process for today was to go out there and win, but (also) get the respect from my teammates.”
If Thompson missed that tackle, Achane had acres of running room in front of him.
“It was just a timing thing,” Thompson said of the play. “Once (Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) looked that way, I just went. I knew the tight end wasn’t able to block me … I’ve got to take my shot, take my chance, so I’m glad I made it.”
Thompson, an 11th-year pro who signed a one-year contract with the Bills in the offseason after a decade in Carolina, played on special teams in Week 1 against Baltimore, then missed last week’s win over the Jets with hand and hamstring injuries. He played against the Dolphins with a soft cast on his hand.
“Hopefully I gained all the respect from my teammates, going out there hitting,” he said. “That was the biggest thing for me.”
Thompson finished with six tackles against Miami, which was third on the team, although he was upset about one that he missed on Miami running back Ollie Gordon II.
“I couldn’t wrap up fully, but I’ll do better,” he said. “That’s on me. No excuses. I’ve got to make that tackle.”
Elevated
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Linebacker Keonta Jenkins and defensive tackle Zion Logue were elevated from the Bills’ practice squad for a second consecutive week because of the injuries to Matt Milano and Ed Oliver.
It was notable that Milano did not land on injured reserve, which should bode well for the severity of the pectoral injury that kept him out of the Miami game Thursday. The Bills also lost practice-squad offensive lineman Dan Feeney to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
who needed help on the interior offensive line because of injuries.
Elsewhere in the NFL, former Bills punter Brad Robbins, who got cut following Week 1, tried out for the Cleveland Browns.
Inactives
Inactive for the Bills because of injury were Oliver, who missed his second straight game because of an ankle injury, and Milano, who missed his first with the pectoral injury he suffered against the Jets. They were declared out on the team’s final injury report.
The Bills’ other inactive players were coaching decisions unrelated to injury. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel, offensive lineman Chase Lundt, defensive end Landon Jackson and safety Jordan Hancock were all inactive for the third straight game. Cornerback Ja’Marcus Ingram was inactive for the first time this season.
On the Miami side, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was active despite being questionable for the game because of a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 1. Running back Jaylen Wright, who missed the Dolphins’ first two games with a knee injury, returned to the lineup.
Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu (calf), cornerback Storm Duck (ankle) and tight end Darren Waller (hip) missed the game for Miami because of injury.
Welcome back
A few fan favorites were back at Highmark Stadium on Thursday night. Former Bills safety Micah Hyde was on the field during pregame talking with his longtime position mate, Jordan Poyer, along with quarterback Josh Allen, tight end Dawson Knox and fullback Reggie Gilliam. Former quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is a part of the Amazon Prime broadcast, and wide receiver Stevie Johnson, one of Fitzpatrick’s favorite targets during their time together with the team, also were in attendance. Johnson was the designated “legend of the game” by the Bills.
Welcome back II
A pair of former Bills started on defense for Miami. Linebacker Tyrel Dodson made a game-high 11 tackles and had one sack of Allen, and cornerback Rasul Douglas finished second on Miami with seven tackles.
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