The Bills have placed 29-year old kicker Dave Rayner on the Injured Reserve List, ending this season due to a groin injury.  Rayner played in 7 games for the Bills this year and he made 10 of 15 field goals (66.7%) and all 13 of his extra points as he finished the season with 43 points for the Bills.  The Bills have signed 27-year old kicker Brandon Coutu to kick for the Bills this weekend against the Patriots.  He was a 7th round pick by the Seahawks in the 2008 NFL Draft, but he has yet to play in a regular season game in his career so far.

The Bills have lost rookie TE Mike Caussin for the rest of the season due to a torn right ACL.  This is a bad break for Caussin as he worked really hard to make the team out of tiny James Madison.  Caussin played in 6 games for the Bills this year and he caught 5 passes for 41 yards (8.2 avg).  He also returned 1 kickoff for 12 yards this year.  The Bills will probably bring Caussin to training camp next season if he recovers well.

The Bills have placed 24-year old rookie TE Lee Smith on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season due to an ankle injury.  Smith played in 10 games for the Bills this year and he caught 4 passes for 11 yards (2.8 avg).  The Bills claimed Smith off waivers from the Patriots, who wanted to keep them on their practice squad.  Smith is a good run blocker and he will have a good chance of making the Bills again in 2012.

The Bills have placed 23-year old DT Torell Troup on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season due to a back injury. Troup played in 6 games for the Bills this year and he had 8 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss.  He has now played in 21 games in his first two years with the Bills and he had 31 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 2 tackles for a loss.  Troup hasn’t shown much in his first two years with the Bills.

The Bills have lost 30-year old RB Fred Jackson for the rest of the season with a broken leg.  Jackson played in 10 games (9 starts) for the Bills in 2011 and he carried the ball 170 times for 934 yards (5.5 ypc) with 6 TD runs.  He also caught 39 passes for 442 yards (11.3 avg) for the Bills this year.  Jackson has now played in 66 games in his first five years with the Bills and he has carried the ball 817 times for 3,794 yards (4.6 ypc) with 16 TD runs.  He has also caught 175 passes for 1,535 yards (8.8 avg) with 4 TD grabs so far in his career with the Bills.  This is a HUGE loss for the Bills as Jackson was by far the best offensive skill player on the team.

The Bills have placed 23-year old WR Donald Jones on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season due to an ankle injury.  Jones played in 8 games for the Bills this year and he caught 23 passes for 231 yards (10.0 avg) with 1 TD grab.  He has now played in 23 games in his first two years with the Bills and he has caught 41 passes for 444 yards (10.8 avg) with 2 TD grabs.  This is going to hurt a little bit for the Bills as Jones was starting to step up this year.

The Buffalo Bills have lost 31-year old starting CB Terrence McGee for the year due to a torn patella tendon.  He had surgery today to repair it.  McGee played in 6 games for the Bills this year and he had 28 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 1 tackle for a loss.  McGee has now played in 115 games in his first 9 years with the Bills and he has 512 tackles, 17 interceptions (1 TD return), 96 passes defensed, 15 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries.

The Bills will have to start 30-year old Drayton Florence and 21-year old rookie Aaron Williams at CB the rest of the season, and that could spell trouble.  Florence has played in all 10 games for the Bills so far this year and he has 32 tackles, 6 passes defensed and 2 interceptions (1 returned for a TD).  Williams has played in 4 games for the Bills so far this year and he has 12 tackles.  The Bills need these two guys to step up, or they are going to have big time trouble against passing teams.

The Bills will be without 25-year old starting center Eric Wood and 22-year old rookie Chris White for the rest of the season as they have been both placed on I.R. with torn ACL’s.  Wood played in 9 games (all starts) for the Bills this year.  He has played in 33 games (all starts) in his first three years with the Bills and this is a HUGE blow.  Chris White played in 7 games for the Bills this year and he has 8 tackles and 2 forced fumbles.  He will be missed mostly on special teams.

The Buffalo Bills have placed 28-year old NT Kyle Williams on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season due to a foot injury.  Williams played in 5 games for the Bills this year and he had 9 tackles, 1 pass defensed and 1 tackle for a loss.  He has now played in 83 games in his first six years in the NFL and he has 301 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 35 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries and 3 passes defensed.

The Bills will be without 34-year old kicker Rian Lindell for the next 4-6 weeks due to a very serious shoulder injury.  Lindell has kicked in all 8 games for the Bills so far this year and he has made 12 of 15 field goals (80%).  He also has connected on all 25 of his extra points this year as he has scored 64 points for the Bills so far in 2011.  The Bills will likely have a dropoff at kicker after they sign a free agent to replace Lindell, who is a great cold weather kicker.

UPDATE:  (12/8/2011) – The Bills have placed Rian Lindell on the Injured Reserve List, ending his season.