The Patriots are gearing up to host the Colts at Gillette Stadium with a lengthy list of questionable players for Sunday's post-Thanksgiving tilt.
After three consecutive days of perfect practice attendance, New England didn't rule any players on the active roster out on its final injury report for Week 13. Nine players are questionable for the Patriots: WR DeMario Douglas (ankle), S Kyle Dugger (ankle), LB Christian Elliss (knee), LB Anfernee Jennings (knee), OT Vederian Lowe (shoulder), S Jabrill Peppers (knee), DT Jaquelin Roy (neck), LB Sione Takitaki (knee), and DE Deatrich Wise (foot).
Also of note is that the team ruled out OL Cole Strange (knee) and removed DT Christian Barmore (not injury related - other) from the final injury report. Barmore is fully healthy for the first time since returning from blood clots. Strange will not be activated from the physically unable to perform list this week. After sustaining a severe knee injury toward the end of last season, Strange began practicing for the first time this season on Nov. 20, meaning his 21-day window to be activated to the 53-man roster ends on Dec. 11. Although he won't return this week, head coach Jerod Mayo expects Strange to play this season.
Along the offensive line, the expectation is that rookie G Layden Robinson will be reinserted into the starting lineup at left guard. Earlier this week, the team released veteran Michael Jordan and re-signed him to the practice squad to give Robinson, a fourth-round draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, an opportunity to play. Robinson's last started in the team's Week 9 loss to the Titans at right guard, and the rookie was benched midway through the second quarter after allowing two quarterback pressures and being called for a hold on third down.
Although his last start didn't go as planned, the coaching staff remains optimistic that Robinson will develop into a good player. At this point in the season, it seems the team is prioritizing in-game reps for its younger players to get a complete evaluation of their rookie class before the end of the season. The hope is to have a fuller assessment of their recent draft picks so that they know where the roster stands heading into a critical offseason. For example, if they find out that Robinson can be a starter, that's one less spot to fill in the offseason.
"You want to win right now. But at the same time, I think it would be a disservice to get to the end of the season and not know exactly what we have," Coach Mayo said on Friday. Mayo highlighted Robinson, Strange, third-rounder Caedan Wallace, and the wide receiver room as specific players and position groups that the Pats HC hopes to evaluate further.
Robinson is the favorite to start at left guard, a position he hasn't played in a game at any level. At Texas A&M, the rookie made 33 career starts, all at right guard, while playing right guard exclusively in his first NFL season. Robinson's inexperience on the left side will be something to monitor. The Patriots projected starting offensive line is LT Vederian Lowe, LG Layden Robinson, C Ben Brown, RG Mike Onweu, and RT Trey Jacobs.
As for the rest of the offense, top WR DeMario Douglas is questionable due to an ankle injury. Douglas, who leads all Patriot wide receivers in catches (48) and receiving yards (477), was a limited participant in all three practices this week. We'll monitor his status during pre-game warmups, as playing without their shifty slot receiver would be a big blow for the Patriots offense.
Moving over to the defense, safety Jabrill Peppers returned to the team this week after being removed from the commissioner's exempt list on Monday. Peppers, who was away from the team for the last six weeks, is officially listed as questionable due to a knee injury. Peppers is back on the active roster, but it's unclear if he'll play on Sunday.
"It's probably too early to tell about Sunday. Today's a big day for him. It's a big day for all of us, but he looks good," Mayo said of Peppers's status.
After missing the last two games with a foot injury, captain Deatrich Wise told reporters he expects to play on Sunday. Wise is second on the team with five sacks and third in total pressures (14). The veteran's return should provide a boost for a Pats defense with seven players listed as questionable on their final injury report.
The status of the Pats banged-up defenders is a major storyline with a matchup against Colts dual-threat QB Anthony Richardson and star RB Jonathan Taylor on Sunday. It's the first time New England will play an offense that features designed quarterback runs, with Richardson and Taylor often playing a two-man game in the backfield on option plays. From this perspective, it'll be a good test for a Patriots defense that has struggled to play assignment-sound football.
The Pats coaching staff could use some wrinkles to account for Richardson's mobility. For example, New England might have their hybrid safeties set the edge on read-option plays. Read-option designs leave one defender unblocked for the quarterback to read. If they crash down, the QB keeps the ball, but if the defender stays home, the QB hands it off. Having a more athletic defender as the "read" player could be helpful. One would also expect the Pats to use the "Longhorn" package with special teams ace Brenden Schooler, maybe even more than usual.
Although the quarterback is a dynamic athlete, the Colts will be without leading receiver Josh Downs on Sunday. Downs, Indy's primary chain-mover and chess piece offensively, was ruled out for Sunday's game with a shoulder injury — a major loss for the Colts offense. Indianapolis also listed starting WR Alec Pierce (foot) as questionable for Sunday's game.
At 3-9, the Patriots hope to learn more about their current roster for Coach Mayo and EVP of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf to set the table for next offseason. On Sunday, New England is a 2.5-point home underdog vs. a Colts team that has lost three of their last four games, making this a winnable game to gain some positive momentum.
The Patriots host the Colts with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
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
