The New England Patriots will make the unfriendly confines of MetLife Stadium on Sunday without five presumptive key starters. This situation could significantly impact their performance as they aim for a vital win that could help them secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
Of the players who are definitely out of the lineup, Kayshon Boutte has been ruled out with a concussion. Mack Hollins won’t be available due to an abdomen injury. On the other side of the ball, Harold Landry III (knee) and Robert Spillane (ankle) are unavailable. Quarterback Jared Wilson will miss the game due to a concussion. Khyiris Tonga isn’t available either, as he continues to recover from a foot ailment.
Even with this bad news, there’s some good news for the Patriots as TreVeyon Henderson has made significant strides in the concussion protocol. In addition to practicing in a red, non-contact jersey, Walker was limited on Wednesday. By Friday, he’d graduated to a regular jersey, a strong sign he’s on the positive side of the course toward being available Sunday.
DeMario “Pop” Douglas is appearing on the team’s injury report as questionable for Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. It remains to be seen how his status will play out as the team looks ahead to Sunday’s potential clash with their division rivals.
New England’s path to securing the top seed in the AFC is contingent on two outcomes: they must win both of their remaining games, and the Denver Broncos need to lose against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18.
Even head coach Mike Vrabel admitted the difficulty of what his team faced this year. He spoke in particular about how difficult it has been to manage through all these injuries.
“Everybody deals with it. This is not something that’s new to the National Football League,” – Mike Vrabel
The Patriots in turn have been preparing all week for this important game. They continue to keep their eye on the prize of tackling adversity and doggedly chasing down playoff spots. Their result this same weekend against the Jets will be the penultimate deciding factor for how well they’ve done in their present position. It will define their aspirations as they prepare for the playoffs.
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