Brady buoyed by Patriots’ healthier outlook
FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — The New England Patriots appear to be getting healthier as the reigning Super Bowl champions head toward Sunday’s home game against the Houston Texans.
Dont’a Hightower (knee) and Danny Amendola (concussion, knee), who both missed Sunday’s win at New Orleans, and Philip Dorsett (knee), Chris Hogan (knee) and Eric Rowe (groin) — injured against the Saints — were all back at practice on Wednesday.
Rob Gronkowski, who had a groin injury on Sunday, was spotted at practice but listed as not participating. On Monday, he said he was “day to day” and that he didn’t think his injury was serious.
Rex Burkhead (ribs) and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle/concussion) were also out. But Amendola, Dorsett and Hogan were all among the nine players who had “limited participation,” a positive sign for a wide-receiver group that lost Julian Edelman for the season and Malcolm Mitchell for several weeks.
“It was awesome,” Brandin Cooks said when asked about seeing his fellow receivers on the practice field.
Cooks, Dorsett and Hogan were the only three wide receivers dressed in Sunday’s win. Cooks and Dorsett were playing just their second game with the Patriots.
“Injuries really challenge every team at some point in the year,” said the Pats’ superstar quarterback Tom Brady.
“Your depth is really challenged — offensively, defensively, special teams — at some point a lot of guys are called into action, whether it’s guys from the practice squad, or guys you bring off the street or during a game or over the course of time.
“We’ve been challenged early and hopefully we can use it as a positive, that other guys may get a lot of reps early in the year and then when guys can get back we’ve more depth.
“You just have to do the best you can do, every team deals with it — they’re dealing with some injuries as well ... we are, it’s just part of this long football season ... it’s a marathon of a season and you’re going to have the ups and downs of guys being in, being out.
“You always love to be as healthy as possible, but that’s probably not the reality of most teams.”
Brady was just 16 of 36 with no touchdowns in the opening loss to Kansas City. He then threw three touchdowns in the first quarter for the first time in his career in the win at New Orleans.
Brady was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday after passing for 447 yards and three touchdowns in the 36-20 win against the Saints.
Dorsett, acquired from Indianapolis for Jacoby Brissett, was asked on Monday if he thinks Brady already has trust in him.
“I think he trusts me,” he said. “We work a lot during and after practice. Hopefully, we can continue to gain more trust as the season goes on, but it’s only the second game so I think we’ve got a long way to go.”