Brady, Gronk on trip
Duo expected to play against Jets today
FOXBORO — The Patriots are healthy heading into a Week 12 matchup at the Jets. The team listed a handful of key players as questionable, but all traveled to North Jersey yesterday.
PATRIOTS NOTEBOOK
Quarterback Tom Brady, who uncharacteristically sat out Friday’s practice, made the trip. Brady is dealing with a knee injury and an illness. The injury, sustained in the Week 10 loss at Tennessee, is not considered serious. It won’t keep him from playing this afternoon, according to a source. Tight end Rob Gronkowski, listed as questionable with nagging ankle and back injuries, also made the trip. Gronkowski has not played in three of the past four games. He was upbeat at Friday’s press conference, declaring he was “definitely ready to get back out there.” “I’m good to go,” Gronkowski said. Running back Sony Michel (knee) and right guard Shaq Mason (calf) traveled with the team yesterday. Michel returned from a two-game absence to play at Tennessee two weeks ago, carrying 11 times for 31 yards. There was never concern that he’d miss the Jets game. “I feel better,” Michel said this week. “I feel strong. It’s all about just finishing strong.” Like Gronkowski, Mason missed games in Weeks 9 and 10. The athletic guard is a crucial part of the Patriots’ running game. Since Mason arrived in 2015, the Pats are 29-3 when rushing for 100 yards or more.
Defensive debuts
Three Patriots defenders could make their debuts with the team this afternoon. Veteran linebacker Ramon Humber, rookie cornerback Duke Dawson and secondyear safety Obi Melifonwu are patiently waiting for playing time. A second-round pick last spring, Dawson spent the beginning of the season on injured reserve. He’s since been practicing exclusively as a slot cornerback. “He’s made progress,” coach Bill Belichick said on Friday. “We’ve activated him, so we’ll see how it goes.” The 31-year-old Humber was with the Pats during the 2016 offseason, but he was released during final roster cuts. He latched on with Buffalo, where he carved out a role on special teams and served as a starting linebacker at times. Humber racked up 89 tackles in 2017. In the midst of a lost season, the Bills released Humber on Nov. 10. The Pats quickly pounced on him.
Safety in shape
Melifonwu, a secondround pick of the Raiders in 2017, has played a grand total of 34 defensive snaps in his NFL career. The Pats signed Melifonwu on Nov. 5, but he was inactive for the Week 10 game at the Titans. Melifonwu now has seven practices under his belt with the Pats. “Any time you’re away from the game for a while it takes a little bit of time to adjust in terms of getting in football shape,” he said. “But it’s been good. I’m just really focusing in on taking in the plays, studying, asking questions, and applying it to the football field.” After spending the beginning of this season on the Raiders’ injured reserve, Melifonwu said he’s “definitely acclimated” in terms of being in game shape. The 6-foot-4, 224-pound Melifonwu is an intriguing prospect. He blew away the cmbine in ’17, running a 4.40 40-yard dash with a 44-inch vertical leap. He has the size to play near the line of scrimmage as well as the speed to excel in the deep part of the field. On Friday, Melifonwu said he’s learned both strong safety and free safety in the Patriots’ system. “I think all the safeties know both, it’s kind of interchangeable,” Melifonwu said. “You’ve got to be able to play both if needed. But that’s how I’ve always been. I’ve always been able to play both and figure out both positions. That’s what I’m doing now.” If active, Melifonwu figures to become the fourth safety behind Devin McCourty , DuronHarmon and Patrick Chung. The Pats like to use “big nickel” groupings consisting of three safeties and two cornerbacks, so additional depth at the position is helpful.