Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots returned from Thanksgiving with four non-participants, including Khyiris Tonga.
The nose tackle went from limited to sidelined on Friday due to a chest injury. Guard Jared Wilson, outside linebacker Harold Landry III and special teams captain Brenden Schooler also remained out of practice in Foxborough.
Here’s the second injury report leading up to Monday’s 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff against the New York Giants.
Tonga managed a season-low 12 defensive snaps last Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals and was announced as questionable to return after halftime. Since arriving on a one-year deal, he has handled two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and two batted passes as a starter along the interior defensive line. Roles in the kicking game and as a short-yardage fullback have also been picked up by No. 95. Wilson on the offensive line, Landry off the edges and Schooler in the kicking game have now missed back-to-back practices.
After projecting four partial participants on Thanksgiving, the Patriots had three upgraded to full participation on Black Friday. As for Tavai, he had been ruled out last week due to personal reasons. Teammates dedicated the 26-20 win at Paycor Stadium to the versatile linebacker.
A rookie tight end and a veteran right tackle went from non-participants to full participants for New England. And an offensive captain, coming off seven catches, a touchdown and a career-high 115 yards receiving, also went without restrictions after working through a toe issue. Meanwhile, in Florham Park, Dart has officially cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol and will start at Gillette Stadium on Monday night. The Giants quarterback, who missed back-to-back games, has thrown for 1,417 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions since taking the reins this fall. An additional 317 yards and seven scores have been accrued by ground.
