Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots will visit the New York Jets down seven starters.
Wide receivers Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte, guard Jared Wilson, defensive tackles Milton Williams and Khyiris Tonga, as well as linebackers Harold Landry III and Robert Spillane have been ruled out for Sunday’s game, head coach Mike Vrabel announced.
But running back TreVeyon Henderson moves forward as questionable after shedding the red non-contact jersey for the final practice of the week.
Here’s the rest of the game statuses heading into the 1 p.m. ET kickoff at MetLife Stadium.
After four games on injured reserve, the Patriots opened the 21-day practice window for Williams to return earlier in the week. Even so, the four-year, $104 million March arrival will not be greenlit for the visit to East Rutherford. The active roster will also be without 1,007 receiving yards and eight touchdowns out wide, plus its rookie starter at left guard, plus captains across the ball who rank atop the team in sacks and tackles. And also the run-stuffing Tonga, whose campaign has spanned 14 snaps at fullback, 337 snaps at defensive tackle and 65 snaps on special teams.
“Just not available for the game,” Vrabel said Friday when asked whether it’d take a New Year’s miracle for any of the seven to be back at practice next week. “A couple of them are in protocol and a couple of them have something else going on. We’ll see where we’re at after the game. That’s the most important thing.”
Henderson entered concussion protocol only a dozen scrimmage yards in last Sunday night. But after being ruled out at halftime, the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month was listed as a limited participant on Christmas Eve and projected the same again on Christmas Day. As for Douglas, the 2023 sixth-rounder out of Liberty sustained a hamstring injury during the matchup at M&T Bank Stadium. A string of partial practices have followed for a shorthanded wideout depth chart that could soon see standard elevations from the practice squad.
But tight end C.J. Dippre, offensive tackles Morgan Moses and Thayer Munford Jr., outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings, as well as cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and Charles Woods all will go without game designations for New England.
