The Buffalo Bills will be without two key players for their Week 9 matchup against the Miami Dolphins as both wide receiver Amari Cooper and cornerback Christian Benford have been inactivated for the divisional game. Safety Mike Edwards, linebacker Nicholas Morrow, fullback Reggie Gilliam, offensive lineman Will Clapp and defensive lineman Zion Logue round out the inactive list.

Head coach Sean McDermott indicated Friday that both Cooper and Benford were questionable due to ankle injuries. The fact that neither is available isn’t quite a blow. Cooper appeared to be hurting in Buffalo’s Week 8 win against the Seattle Seahawks, but he didn’t miss any meaningful moments; He was a limited participant in this week’s training, attending sessions with a heavily bandaged left wrist. Benford too apparently injured his ankle in week 8; He was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice before being limited on Thursday and Friday.

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Cooper, a five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver the Bills acquired from the Cleveland Browns in mid-October, looked promising, catching five passes for 69 yards and a touchdown in his first two games with Buffalo. His mere presence also had positive consequences for the Bills’ aerial attack, as defenses had to account for the 10-year veteran when he was on the field, thus leaving room for Buffalo’s other pass catchers; While the rookie threw 195 passes in the last two games, Shakir caught nine passes for 107 yards in Week 8, with Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir being the most important supporters of this. What can Buffalo’s receiving corps accomplish in his absence? There will be something to pay attention to; Wide winger Jalen Virgil was removed from the practice squad to fill his game-day active spot.

Benford quickly became one of the Bills’ top defenders through the first eight weeks of the season, and he played as well as any cornerback in the NFL to begin the season. He has recorded 35 tackles, four pass deflections and one interception so far; He allowed just 16 receptions for 142 yards, per PFF. Quarterbacks’ passer rating when targeting Benford is just 65.6, per PFF; That’s good for 10th among cornerbacks who have logged at least 100 snaps in coverage; Former first-round pick Kaiir Elam could be ready to start opposite Rasul Douglas in his place.

Middle linebacker Terrel Bernard, who missed last week with an ankle injury, is active against Miami.

The rest of the inactive list isn’t that surprising. Gilliam was ruled out with a hip injury earlier this week; Edwards, Clapp and Logue are among the mainstays of the inactive list. Undrafted linebacker Joe Andreesseen getting a game-day jersey over Nicholas Morrow is a fascinating development and a testament to the rookie’s strong special teams play last week.

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