The Patriots are preparing for their upcoming trip to Miami, with their roster showing positive progress in terms of health as they head into Sunday’s game against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
On Friday, the New England Patriots officially ruled out nose tackle Jaquelin Roy for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins due to a neck injury. Additionally, 10 players were listed as questionable: defensive tackle Christian Barmore (non-injury related), safety Kyle Dugger (ankle), cornerback Christian Gonzalez (hip), linebacker Anfernee Jennings (knee), tackle Vederian Lowe (shoulder), safety Marte Mapu (neck), offensive lineman Cole Strange (knee), linebacker Sione Takitaki (knee), linebacker Keion White (knee), and defensive end Deatrich Wise (foot).
The Patriots’ defensive front has been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks. Wise, who missed last Sunday’s game against the , returned to practice on Friday for the first time since the injury in Week 10, and still has a chance to play on Sunday. However, Roy will miss his second consecutive game. Meanwhile, Barmore, who made his season debut last week after recovering from blood clots, is being carefully managed. He participated in just one practice this week and played 21 snaps against the Rams, registering three tackles but no pressures.
If Wise and Roy are both sidelined, the Patriots will likely continue with a defensive front rotation that includes hybrid defensive end Keion White, outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings, nose tackle Davon Godchaux, defensive tackles Jeremiah Pharms and Daniel Ekuale, newcomer Yannick Ngakoue, and Barmore. Miami’s offense, which often receives more attention for its passing game, had a strong performance on the ground in Week 5 against the Patriots, rushing for 193 yards, the most allowed by New England this season. Miami’s running game features a mix of zone and gap schemes, and the key for the Patriots’ defense will be setting the edge and preventing cutbacks.
On the back end, cornerback Christian Gonzalez was added to the injury report with a hip issue on Friday and is listed as questionable. Gonzalez, who has been a key player in the secondary, shadowed Miami’s Tyreek Hill on 21 of 29 routes in their Week 5 matchup. Losing Gonzalez would be a significant blow to the defense. To bolster depth at cornerback, New England activated Alex Austin from injured reserve earlier this week, and he could see action on Sunday.
On the offensive side, the Patriots are expected to stick with the same starting offensive line for Sunday’s game, but there is the possibility that Cole Strange could make his return from the physically unable to perform list. Strange, who has been recovering from a knee injury, participated in individual drills this week but has not yet been cleared for full-team practices. Head coach Jerod Mayo indicated that Strange is in good shape but is still working his way back. The Patriots have until December 11 to decide whether to activate him to the 53-man roster.
Strange has been practicing at center this season, despite playing left guard in his first two years with the team. His athleticism makes him a good fit for the center position in the Patriots’ outside zone-heavy scheme. The decision of where to deploy Strange when he’s fully healthy will be important, as the interior line has been inconsistent, with starting left guard Michael Jordan and center Ben Brown struggling at times. While Strange may upgrade one of those spots, continuity could still be a priority, especially after the offensive line has shown some improvement in recent weeks.
New England will finalize its roster decisions on Saturday, potentially activating Strange, and monitoring whether Roy and Wise make the trip to Miami. The Patriots could also elevate players from the practice squad. Kickoff for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Stadium.
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