Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots began work on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers without five.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte and linebacker Christian Elliss were sidelined on Wednesday, as head coach Mike Vrabel shared before his roster reached the practice fields in Foxborough.
From there, ironman center Garrett Bradbury and rookie defensive tackle Joshua Farmer were present but also did not participate.
Here’s the first injury report leading up to Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Raymond James Stadium.
The Patriots ruled out Stevenson on the final injury report of last week after a toe injury resulted in three missed practices. With the lead running back sidelined, the depth chart combined for 131 yards from scrimmage along with one touchdown to open November. But there were departures during the 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Starting out wide, Boutte drew one target before sustaining a hamstring injury. And Elliss, subbing in off the ball, handled 25 snaps between defense and special teams before sustaining a hip injury. Both were downgraded from questionable to out in the second half. Hip and ankle issues also kept interior linemen on both sides of the ball from practicing outside Gillette Stadium on Wednesday.
Notable names remained absent for head coach Todd Bowles’ side of the aisle on Wednesday. But a 40-game Buccaneers starter at right tackle went forward as a limited participant after recently having his 21-day practice window open.
While no Patriots began the week in a limited capacity, a pair began in full, including No. 0. Gonzalez landed hard after going up to contest a 40-yard completion last Sunday. The reigning All-Pro cornerback went to the blue medical tent and then the locker room to be evaluated for a head injury. He was announced as questionable to return.
