The Patriots season comes to an end Sunday vs. the Bills at Gillette Stadium, and their final injury report has some notable names.
On Friday, New England ruled out starting CB Christian Gonzalez (concussion), WR Ja'Lynn Polk (shoulder), S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring), and C Ben Brown (concussion). The Patriots also listed the following players as questionable: S Kyle Dugger (ankle/quad), TE Hunter Henry (foot), LB Anfernee Jennings (knee), LB Titus Leo (ankle), QB Drake Maye (hand), and LB Sione Takitaki (knee).
Starting in the defensive secondary without Gonzalez, the Patriots top cornerback has been a bright spot during a challenging season. The former first-rounder sustained a concussion early in the second quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Chargers making a tackle along the sideline. It's an unfortunate end to a terrific second season for Gonzalez, who was snubbed for the Pro Bowl in a crowded field at the position in the AFC.
While shadowing the opponent's top receiver nearly every week, Gonzalez allowed the seventh-lowest passer rating (69.3) into his coverage among qualified corners. Gonzo is also the only defender in the NFL to be targeted 10-plus times on deep passes who has allowed just one catch and zero touchdowns. The Pats rising star has done all this with a 44.8% man coverage rate, the second-highest in the NFL.
Although he was snubbed from the Pro Bowl, there's a better chance that the Associated Press will vote Gonzo as an All-Pro. However, with the Patriots record (3-13) and a defense that ranks 30th in DVOA, Gonzalez might fall victim to the fact that he has been a standout player on a team that hasn't won many games. Plus, he's only in his second season, whereas more experienced corners like Denzel Ward and Marlon Humphrey are proven commodities that have been among the league's best for multiple seasons. Eventually, Gonzalez will earn that respect.
As for Sunday's game, Gonzalez's absence presents an opportunity for Alex Austin, Isaiah Bolden, and rookie Marcellas Dial Jr. to audition for roles in 2025. Since returning from injury, Austin has played well, allowing three catches for 26 yards with two pass breakups in man coverage over the last five games. Bolden played a season-high 76% of the defensive snaps last week after Gonzalez left the game. Dial, a sixth-round rookie, only played three snaps on defense in Week 17.
This offseason, finding a reliable boundary corner to play opposite Gonzalez is a need for New England. The Pats have third-year pro Marcus Jones returning, but veteran Jonathan Jones is a free agent, while both Joneses are better off playing in the slot. The two second-year defenders have the skill sets to play on the outside. On Sunday, Austin and Bolden will get one last crack at proving they can be in the mix for larger roles next season.
At safety, Peppers will sit out his third consecutive game with a hamstring injury. New England's safety rotation will likely remain the same, with captain Kyle Dugger, second-year LB/S Marte Mapu, FS Jaylinn Hawkins, and undrafted rookie Dell Pettus in the mix without Peppers.
Moving over to the offense, rookie QB Drake Maye is officially questionable after being a limited participant in practice this week due to a right hand injury. However, all signs point to the Patriots first-rounder starting on Sunday. There's also debate about how New England would approach the season finale as the current owners of the No. 1 overall pick. With a loss, the Pats will secure the first-overall pick for the first time since 1993, but they can fall as far as the No. 4 pick if they pull off an upset over Buffalo on Sunday.
From this perspective, the Patriots are approaching this game to win, meaning Maye will play the entire game unless it gets out of hand. Let's say that Buffalo or New England builds a big second-half lead. Then, maybe we'll see sixth-rounder Joe Milton in garbage time. As long as the game is still up for grabs, it's going to be Maye. My read is that New England will approach this game like any other with their starting QB.
That might not be a popular approach amongst fans who want to see the Patriots prioritize securing the first-overall draft pick. But you have to consider that players are playing for jobs in the NFL, whether it's here or elsewhere, and the same goes for coaches. You can't expect those on the sideline this Sunday to actively tank, and there's also a discussion about the precedent it sets organizationally to plan on losing a football game.
As for the supporting cast around Maye, the expectation is Cole Strange will get his second consecutive start at center. On Friday, offensive line coach Scott Peters said, all things considered, Strange performed well in his first start last week. At wide receiver, rookie Ja'Lynn Polk's inconsistent rookie campaign will end with the second-round pick missing the season finale. Polk will finish his first year with 12 catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Obviously, this is not what Polk or the team was hoping for after selecting Polk with the 37th overall pick last April.
The Patriots available wideouts will be Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Boutte, DeMario Douglas, and Javon Baker. They'll likely elevate WR/returner Alex Erickson from the practice squad. Along the offensive line, the Pats projected starting line is LT Vederian Lowe, LG Layden Robinson, C Cole Strange, RG Mike Onwenu, and RT Trey Jacobs.
For Buffalo, the Bills have nothing to play for as the No. 2 seed in the AFC, with a Wild Card round playoff game looming next week. As a result, star QB Josh Allen will appear briefly to keep his consecutive starts streak going, then turn it over to backup Mitchell Trubisky. Due to Buffalo playing its reserves, it's fair to wonder what's to glean from the Patriots going all-out to win on Sunday while the No. 1 pick is in their grasp. Ultimately, the approach from a Patriots perspective is to win, for better or worse.
The Patriots host the Bills in the season finale at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday in Foxborough.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
