The Patriots are readying for a trip to Nashville to face the Titans in a clash at Nissan Stadium on Sunday with eight players on the team's final injury report, including starting QB Drake Maye.
On a positive note, New England has yet to rule anyone out for their Week 9 tilt. However, they do have a lengthy list of questionable players before traveling to Tennessee on Saturday: CB Alex Austin (ankle), S Kyle Dugger (ankle), LB Christian Elliss (abdomen), G Michael Jordan (ankle), T Vederian Lowe (ankle/shoulder), QB Drake Maye (concussion), DT Jaquelin Roy (neck), and LB Sione Takitaki (knee).
Starting with Maye, the rookie remains in concussion protocol after being removed from last week's win over the Jets in the second quarter. After being contacted on the back of the head/helmet by Jets LB Jamien Sherwood on an 18-yard scramble, Maye played four more snaps before being pulled from the game. The Pats QB1 did not return, with backup Jacoby Brissett leading the Patriots to victory in the final three quarters.
After being placed in concussion protocol, Maye has made progress this week. The rookie quarterback participated in a limited capacity in Wednesday's practice, then appeared to ramp up his participation on Thursday and Friday. Officially, he was limited in all three practice and is questionable for Sunday, but it seems to be moving in a positive direction.
Based on the league's five-step concussion protocol, Maye's final steps are to be cleared by the team physician for full football activities and then cleared by the independent neurological consultant. At that point, he can play. If he does clear concussion protocol, head coach Jerod Mayo left the door open for Maye to start in his Friday morning press conference.
As for the available players around whoever is under center for the Patriots, New England hopes to build some continuity along the offensive line by starting the same five as last week. However, starting LT Vederian Lowe (ankle/shoulder) is banged up. After sitting out the first practice session, Lowe returned to practice on Thursday and Friday but was a limited participant and is officially questionable.
Earlier this week, Lowe said he hopes to play on Sunday as he and the team continue to manage his injuries. If Lowe can go, the Patriots will likely start the same five they did in the win vs. the Jets: LT Vederian Lowe, LG Michael Jordan, C Ben Brown, RG Mike Onwenu, and RT Trey Jacobs.
Last week, the line had a very solid 30.6% pressure rate, while offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt credited them by saying they allowed zero sacks, putting the two sacks on the quarterbacks. Although the pass protection has improved, the Pats are still trying to get the run game going. In Week 8, New England's running backs generated just -31 yards before contact, meaning there wasn't much room to run.
The hope is that the offensive line can produce better rushing lanes for lead-back Rhamondre Stevenson and the company. With continued continuity, the rhythmic nature of the run game will hopefully improve.
As for the pass-catchers, the wide receiver room is looking for a bounce-back performance after dropping four passes last week. Although drops were a problem, the receivers did make some clutch plays. In particular, second-year WR Kayshon Boutte made up for two drops by hauling in a 34-yard catch that set up the game-winning score.
This week, the Patriots will get second-round rookie Ja'Lynn Polk back. Polk missed last week's game due to a concussion he suffered late in the loss to the Jags in London. Polk has struggled with drops (2) and inconsistent play during his first NFL season. Among receivers with at least 20 targets, Polk's 40% catch rate ranks 157th out of 158 receivers (10 catches on 25 targets). Polk is also dead last in PFF grade (44.5).
Although it hasn't been pretty to start, it's too soon to give up on the 37th overall pick in the 2024 draft. Obviously, injuries are never a good thing. But maybe the week off to mentally reset will help Polk get back on track, with the expectation that he'll still factor into the game plan.
The results haven't always been there, but the Patriots have a lot of bodies at the position. With the trade deadline looming next week, New England has seven wide receivers on their 53-man roster. Boutte, DeMario Douglas, and Kendrick Bourne have emerged as the team's best three pass-catching options, while Polk and fellow rookie Javon Baker's spots seem secure. That leaves third-year WR Tyquan Thornton and vet K.J. Osborn. From this perspective, a trade involving either of those two wideouts would make the most sense if a deal occurs.
Moving over to the defense, there are three major question marks: S Kyle Dugger (ankle), LB Christian Elliss (abdomen), and DT Jaquelin Roy (neck). Dugger was a late scratch due to his ankle injury last week. Elliss and Roy didn't participate in Wednesday's padded practice and were limited the last two days.
Without Dugger, one of their top defenders, the Pats leaned on safeties Marte Mapu, Jaylinn Hawkins, and Dell Pettus. The group performed admirably against the Jets, but Dugger is one of their best overall players. He has been nursing an ankle injury since the Week 4 trip to San Francisco, so it seems Dugger will need to play through the injury.
As for the defensive line, DT Daniel Ekuale is off the injury report after missing last week's game due to an abdomen injury. Backups Jeremiah Pharms and Jaquelin Roy stepped up without Ekuale, and the Pats interior run defense was solid, holding the Jets to 2.3 yards per carry on runs between the tackles. With Roy's status up in the air, Ekuale returns likely in a starting capacity to bolster the interior D-Line depth.
At linebacker, Elliss has emerged as a starter alongside Jahlani Tavai. The third-year linebacker played 84% of the defense snaps last week, making some splash plays with a sack, three stops, and a pass breakup. His game still has some boom or bust, but losing Elliss would force Raekwon McMillan back into a regular role after Elliss replaced him.
On Maye, and this is purely this scribe's opinion, the third-overall pick is trending toward playing. Along with clearing the final hurdle with the independent neurologist, the only question is whether Maye will be fully prepared to play. As a rookie making his fourth career start, the team might consider holding Maye out both for precautionary reasons and because it has been a wonky week for him in the concussion protocol, while Brissett is a capable option, as he showed last week.
The Patriots are looking for their first two-game winning streak since the 2022 season. After snapping a six-game losing streak last week, New England has a winnable game vs. the Titans on Sunday (1-6). However, they have quite a few injured players whose statuses are up in the air, including an unknown starting quarterback.
The Patriots will travel to Nashville on Saturday afternoon. We'll update you on any travel-day downgrades heading to Tennessee for Sunday's game vs. the Titans.
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
