Brady won’t miss Sunday
FOXBORO — Ten days after he was battered in a blowout loss at the Tennessee Titans, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady popped up on the practice report with a knee injury.
It’s the first time Brady has been listed on the injury report this season.
But Patriots fans can breathe easy. A source described the injury as “not bad.” Brady is expected to play in Sunday’s matchup at the Jets.
According to a source, Brady was injured on his fourth-quarter reception versus Tennessee. Facing a third-and-7, the Pats ran a reverse pass, as Brady handed off to James White, who pitched the ball to Julian
Edelman. Brady leaked out into the flat and caught the pass from Edelman, stumbling forward as he attempted to pick up the first down. He fell a yard short of the marker, and the Patriots then turned the ball over on downs.
It was Brady’s final snap of the game. Earlier in the afternoon, Brady took a hard shot to the leg from Tennessee linebacker Wesley Woodyard. Brady has not missed a game because of injury since 2008.
In addition to Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski (ankle/ back), running back Sony Michel (knee), and guard
Shaq Mason (calf) were limited in yesterday’s practice.
Mason and Gronkowski have missed the past two games.
Edelman, who exited the Titans game early with an ankle injury, was a full practice participant.
Tight end Dwayne Allen was the lone player absent from yesterday’s practice. Allen is nursing a knee injury sustained in Week 10.
Dawson debut
The Patriots have endured some misfortune with the top of their 2018 draft class. Their first pick, offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn, suffered a torn Achilles in the preseason and was lost for the year. Their second selection, Michel, has been productive in spurts, but he already has battled through two separate knee injuries.
And their first defensive selection hasn’t yet seen the field.
Rookie cornerback Duke
Dawson, a second-round selection out of Florida, was placed on injured reserve before the season opener.
Dawson returned from his hamstring injury, however, and was moved to the active roster last week. He could make his NFL debut on Sunday versus the Jets.
“It’s very exciting,” Dawson said yesterday. “As a competitor, you always want to go out and compete and help the team any way you can. That’s been me my whole life. Just paying attention to every little detail because you never know when your name’s going to be called.”
Dawson indicated he’s exclusively practiced as a slot cornerback. He could challenge third-year pro Jonathan Jones for snaps at that spot. Jones has elite speed and quickness, but Dawson is a well-built 5-foot-10, 198 pounds. He could match up with physical slot receivers.
“Feisty guy that comes in and works hard, doesn’t back down,” Edelman said. “He’s great to compete against.”
Safety Devin McCourty called Dawson “very competitive.”
“I think he’s doing a good job of going out there and competing against our best guys,” McCourty said.
Dawson appeared in one preseason game and has not played in the regular season. Despite the lack of experience, the rookie feels ready to assume any role Sunday.
“If I had to play 50 snaps, I could play 50 snaps,” Dawson said. “It’s nothing new to me.”