New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots are turning their attention to their upcoming Week 8 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, as they will be looking to earn their fifth straight victory, which would push their record to 6-2 on the season.
A lot of things have gone right for the Patriots through their first seven games. Obviously, the play on the field is the big storyline, but one of the sneaky important developments has involved the team’s ability to stay healthy for the most part.
Make no mistake, several players are still dealing with injuries, but most aren’t of the long-term variety. On the team’s latest injury report, Elijah Ponder and Craig Woodson were the only two players who didn’t practice on Wednesday, while several guys, such as Stefon Diggs, Harold Landry III and Christian Barmore, are continuing to battle various ailments.
Ponder and Woodson’s absences from practice are the most notable pieces of this injury report, as that immediately diminishes their likelihood of playing in Week 8. The good news is that they still have two more practices to get themselves back on the field.
Diggs, Landry, Barmore and Morgan Moses were all limited at practice last week, and while they all ended up playing, it’s clear they aren’t 100% healthy. Elsewhere, Jaylinn Hawkins was a full participant after he missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury.
As long as Diggs and several of these other guys are able to continue logging limited practices throughout the week, they should be good to go come kickoff on Sunday. However, it will be worth monitoring their statuses when the team returns to practice on Thursday.
