Burkhead closer to a berth on roster
FOXBORO — The Patriots were down only one player as they hit the practice field for the first time since the bye week.
PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK
Tight end Dwayne Allen was the lone absentee. He is dealing with a knee injury and expected to miss multiple weeks, according to the NFL Network. Running back Rex Burkhead was late to practice due to the birth of his son. Burkhead, currently on injured reserve, began practicing on Nov. 8. Because all players returning from IR must sit out eight games, Burkhead is not eligible to play until Week 13 against the Vikings. He was placed on IR in Week 4 after suffering a neck injury against the Lions. Prior to that, Burkhead sustained a concussion in Week 2 at the Jaguars.
Burkhead is the Patriots’ final return-from-IR player. Rookie cornerback Duke
Dawson was activated last week.
If activated, Burkhead should complement Sony
Michel and James White .He possesses a unique skill set, as he’s equally capable of running in short-yardage situations and catching the ball out of the backfield. In 2017, Burkhead averaged 51.8 yards from scrimmage per game (26.4 on the ground, 25.4 as a receiver).
The Patriots did not release an injury report yesterday. Credit to Thuney
Bill Belichick casually dropped some high praise for third-year guard Joe
Thuney, calling him “one of our best players.”
A third-round pick in 2016, Thuney became a starter from Day 1 at left guard. After a strong showing as a rookie, Thuney experienced an up-and-down second season.
This year, he’s ranked as the fifth-best guard in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. His counterpart, right guard Shaq Mason, ranks third.
“I thought he’s played very consistently all year, as he has the last couple years,” Belichick said. “So, yeah, he’s been a really solid guy for us.”
Thuney missed most of the spring due to a foot injury. Belichick said the standout guard recaptured his top form in “middle to late August.”
Belichick added the Patriots have been lucky with their interior line as a whole. They’ve enjoyed uncommon continuity in the middle, as the trio of Thuney, Mason and David Andrews has started together for three consecutive seasons. They’ve missed a combined four games in that span.
“Overall, that group’s been pretty solid, pretty dependable, pretty reliable for us,” Belichick said. “When (Ted
Karras is) filling in, which he has for Shaq the last couple of weeks and then last year for David in Mexico against Oakland... He did a nice job, too. Yeah, we’ve been pretty fortunate in that part of the offensive line.”
McCown or Darnold?
The Patriots enter Week 12 in a rare spot. They’re not sure which quarterback they’ll be facing on Sunday.
Rookie Sam Darnold sat out of the Jets’ Week 10 loss to the Bills because of a foot injury. Darnold reportedly did not practice on Monday when the Jets returned from their Week 11 bye.
If Darnold can’t play on Sunday, the Pats will draw veteran Josh McCown, who had success against them a year ago.
“Every week, we’re one play away from playing the other quarterback, whoever the starter is,” Belichick said. “So we have to be ready for both guys. That’s the way it is every week.”
This isn’t exactly an extreme situation for the Patriots. Consider: A week ago, the Bengals needed to prepare for the Ravens without knowing if Joe Flacco or
Lamar Jackson would be the quarterback. With Darnold and McCown, the skill sets are much more similar.
The 39-year-old McCown is the more mobile of the two. Darnold, meanwhile, has the stronger arm.
“He’s got a quick release,” said Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore. “He can put the ball anywhere on the field. He’s very aggressive, and he’s got playmakers around him.”