O-line in shambles
Brown, Mason ruled out while Wynn, Onwenu remain on COVID reserve
The Patriots’ offensive line, a trouble spot all season, is now facing a full-blown crisis.
Starting right tackle Trent Brown and right guard Shaq Mason were officially ruled out Friday with the injuries that kept them out of practice all week. Brown is still dealing with the hurt calf he suffered in Week 1, while Mason is battling an abdomen injury. Without Brown, the Pats have averaged 3.5 yards per carry and rank 19th in adjusted sack rate.
Heading into Sunday’s kickoff in Houston, the Patriots could also be down starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn and left guard Mike Onwenu, who missed every practice on COVID-19 reserve. It’s unknown whether Wynn and/or Onwenu tested positive for the virus or were deemed high-risk close contacts of someone who did.
An unvaccinated player who is deemed a high-risk close contact must quarantine for five days and test negative before returning to the team. If either player is a highrisk close contact, he could theoretically play on Sunday. A vaccinated player only makes COVID19 reserve if he tests positive.
After a vaccinated player tests positive, he can return to the team once he is asymptomatic and produces two negative PCR tests separated by at least 24 hours. An unvaccinated player who tests positive must isolate for a minimum of 10 days.
If the Patriots are down all four starters, backup tackles Justin Herron, Yasir Durant and Yodny Cajuste are candidates to start. Interior backup Ted Karras will man one of the guard positions and should be paired with a player from the practice squad: either James Ferentz, veteran Alex Redmond sixth-round rookie Will Sherman.
Pats coach Bill Belichick addressed his level of concern with the offensive line shortly before Friday’s practice.
“I think today will help clear some of that up, but whoever has the opportunity, I’m sure they’ll make the most of it,” Belichick said. “I know the guys that have been at practice are working as hard as they can to be ready to go, and the guys that did are, likewise, preparing, and if they get the opportunity, I think they’ll be ready to go too. So we’ll see how it all plays out.”
Jackson ready for Cooks
Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks has caught a team-high 28 passes this season.
None of his teammates have more than eight.
Because of that gap, the Patriots’ new No. 1 corner, J.C. Jackson, should see plenty of Cooks on Sunday. Jackson confirmed as much Thursday, saying he intends to try to outmuscle the 5-foot-10, 183-pound speedster.
“I’m going to be physical,” Jackson said. “That’s who I’m going to be covering. I’m going to be physical with him, get my hands on him every chance I get. We’ll see how that plays out Sunday.”
Jackson is coming off a shadow assignment of Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans last weekend. Evans finished with seven catches for 75 yards on 12 targets. However, he was held to two receptions after halftime.
Transitioning from the taller, more physical Evans figures to be Jackson’s biggest challenge Sunday.
“The biggest thing on Cooks is the guy’s fast,” Jackson said. “He can get past the defense if you let him. You’ve got to slow this guy down.”
Phillips: Gilmore trade ‘sucks’
Patriots safety Adrian Phillips described Stephon GIlmore‘s trade to Carolina rather succinctly on Friday.
“It sucks. But that’s part of the business,” he said.
Phillips, who has 15 tackles and one interception this season, later added: “It sucks because I really wanted to play with him and I like playing with him. You have a guy, that caliber player on the field, you see the stuff that he does and it’s like, ‘Wow.’ Unfortunately — it’s none of my business — but things went the way they went and he had to do what was best for him and his family.”
His thoughts were echoed by third-year edge rusher Chase Winovich, who entered the league during Gilmore’s best season. In 2019, Gilmore was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the year and starred for the league’s best defense.
“It was obviously a bummer losing a great player like Steph and a great person, but these are personnel decisions and these are obviously things way above my head,” Winovich said. “Sometimes they happen. Obviously, it stunk. I was a big fan of Steph on and off the field, and I wish him the best of luck.”