Joe Andreessen to play 'quite a bit' for Bills in Week 18 with MLB Terrel Bernard injured

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — Rookie linebacker Joe Andreessen will see extended playing time for the Buffalo Bills in Sunday's regular season finale at New England with starting middle linebacker Terrel Bernard being ruled out because of a quadriceps muscle injury.

Andreessen, a Lancaster High School alumnus who signed with the Bills after playing last season for University at Buffalo, has played in 12 games this season mostly on special teams after becoming the first Western New York native in eight years to make the roster of his hometown team. Nicknamed "Buffalo Joe," Andreessen was a captain for the final regular season home game last week, and led the Bills with eight tackles, all coming in the fourth quarter.

"He’s done a phenomenal job," coach Sean McDermott said before Wednesday's practice. "I think some people thought early on it was a nice PR thing, right? And that’s certainly been cool, I would say, for Joe, for our team, for the city. I mean, you hear it. When he makes a tackle the other day in the game, the crowd loves it, right? The PA announcer loves it, too. So it’s cool. But Joe’s earned every last piece of it. He’ll play quite a bit this week, and I’m excited to watch him. I really am. He’s a good football player."

Special teams coach Matt Smiley and assistant Cory Harkey suggested Andreeseen to be a game captain, rare recognition for a rookie player.

"In this case, it was justified," McDermott said. "He actually did the talking out there for us at the coin toss as well so it just shows you I think more than anything how much his teammates respect him, how much the coaches respect him and the trust that we have in him."

Bernard, who has missed games earlier this season with ankle and pectoral muscle injuries, is "probably somewhere between day to day and week to week," McDermott said. "But right now he will not play this week. I really don’t know if he was healthy enough, would he be able to go? Possibly."

After starting the season on third string, Andreessen became Buffalo's backup middle linebacker when Baylon Spector was placed on injured reserve last week with a calf injury.

Defensive backs Damar Hamlin (rib), Cam Lewis (shoulder), Taylor Rapp (neck) and receiver Curtis Samuel (rib) all were limited in Wednesday's walk-through practice.