Some missing ingredients
Pats prepare for Bills without Gronk, Michel at practice
FOXBORO — The Patriots turned the page to the Bills with their first practice of the week, and they did so without tight end Rob Gronkowski and running back Sony Michel.
Gronkowski didn’t make the trip to Chicago for the Week 7 win over the Bears due to back and ankle injuries.
It was Gronkowski’s first missed game of the season. He was battling back spasms, according to a source, and should be fine with rest.
Michel, the team’s promising rookie tailback, was injured on the first play of the second quarter against the Bears. His left leg got caught under Chicago defensive tackle Bilal Nichols, and he twisted awkwardly as Nichols wrapped him up. Michel was in obvious pain, dropping the ball before he hit the ground.
Michel did not return to the game, but the Pats received some encouraging news when his MRI revealed no structural damage to his left knee, according to a source. That means his ligaments are intact. Beyond that, the exact nature of Michel’s injury is unclear.
In addition, offensive tackle Marcus Cannon (concussion), cornerback Eric Rowe (groin) and defensive end Deatrich Wise (unknown) were not on the practice field yesterday.
Cannon missed the Bears game and remains in concussion protocol.
Rowe, who suffered a groin injury earlier this season, exited Sunday’s win after seemingly aggravating the injury.
Wise was questionable for the Bears game due to ankle and knee injuries. He was limited to a season-low 10 snaps.
According to a source, Wise’s injuries are “nothing major.” He simply needs rest.
In advance of their Monday night game in Buffalo, the Pats are scheduled to release injury reports today, tomorrow and Saturday.
Dawson’s return
The Patriots received some positive news on the injury front when rookie cornerback Duke Dawson returned to the practice field.
Dawson was placed on injured reserve prior to the season opener with a hamstring issue. It didn’t seem like a long-term injury, though, as Dawson made the trip to Detroit for the Week 3 matchup with the Lions and ran sprints during pregame warmups.
A second-round pick out of Florida, Dawson is officially one of the Patriots’ “return from IR” players. They’re allowed to bring two players off injured reserve each season.
Dawson is eligible to play in Week 9 against the Packers at the earliest.
“Just being able to get back out there with the guys, just being able to move around again, it felt great,” Dawson said after practice.
If Dawson isn’t moved to the active roster within 21 days, he will remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season. This is what happened last year with both of the Patriots’ returnfrom-IR players. Linebacker Shea McClellin and wide
receiver Malcolm Mitchell practiced, but neither was activated for game action.
With the potential addition of Dawson to the active roster, the Patriots will have a surplus of young cornerbacks.
They’re currently carrying Stephon Gilmore, Jason McCourty, J.C. Jackson, Rowe, Jonathan Jones and Keion Crossen at the position.
Dawson projects as a slot cornerback option. Jones tops the depth chart at that spot.
RB options
With Michel’s status uncertain for Monday night, it’s possible the Pats will head into Buffalo with only James White and Kenjon Barner in the backfield.
Of course, they could promote practice squad tailback Kenneth Farrow.
Farrow was signed riots for the fourth preseason game and has been on and off the practice squad ever since.
At 5-foot-9, 219 pounds, Farrow is a powerful, compact runner. He brings a little more physicality between the tackles than White and Barner.
Farrow described himself as a “downhill, one-cut” runner.
An undrafted free agent in 2016, Farrow initially caught on with the Chargers. He underwent a major ankle surgery that sidelined him for all of the 2017 season, and he spent the beginning portion of the 2018 offseason without a team.
He figured someone would come calling eventually.
“I know what I’m capable of when I’m healthy,” Farrow said. “You just stay training, you stay at it. Running back is one of those positions where it’s one of the most physical ones in the game, so there’s a lot of injuries throughout the league every week. So you just stay ready.”
Farrow appeared in 13 games with San Diego in 2016 and rushed for 192 yards.