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The Patriots announced injury updates on 10 players before their game against the Jaguars, providing the latest on New England’s injury situation.
The New England Patriots announced injury updates on 10 players ahead of their matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Patriots ruled out two edge rushers Friday and left two starters in question ahead of Sunday’s game at Jacksonville. The updates provide the latest status of several Patriots players as New England prepares to face Jacksonville.
Rookie linebacker Quintayvious Hutchins landed on injured reserve, leaving the pass rush thinner than it’s been all season against a Jaguars offense built to exploit exactly that weakness.
New England placed the rookie linebacker on injured reserve Friday after Hutchins, a seventh-round pick out of Boston College, missed all three practices this week with a knee injury. He’ll miss a minimum of four games after playing 27 total snaps between defense and special teams last week, according to ESPN Patriots insider Mike Reiss.
Jones, who led the Patriots with a team-high six quarterback pressures in Week 1, hasn’t practiced since injuring his shoulder chasing a fumble during last Sunday’s win over Pittsburgh.
“He’s going to do everything he can to be ready,” coach Mike Vrabel said earlier in the week, as quoted by Boston.com‘s Kaley Brown. Jones didn’t make it back in time.
| NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — INJURY REPORT | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots at Jaguars | ||||||
| Player | Pos | Injury | Wed | Thu | Fri | Game |
| Schooler, Brenden | S | Back | Limited | Limited | Limited | NFI List |
| Hutchins, Quintayvious | LB | Knee | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| Jones, Dre’Mont | LB | Shoulder | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| Raridon, Eli | TE | Thigh | Limited | DNP | DNP | Questionable |
| Woodson, Craig | S | Shoulder | DNP | DNP | Limited | Questionable |
| Crownover, Dametrious | T | Knee | Limited | Full | Full | — |
| Davis III, Carlton | CB | Neck | Full | Full | Full | — |
| Gilliam, Reggie | FB | Knee | Limited | Limited | Limited | — |
| Jones, DaQuan | DT | NIR-Personal | DNP | Full | Full | — |
| Moses, Morgan | T | Foot | Limited | Limited | Limited | — |
| DNP = Did Not Practice. Game Status: Hutchins (Out), Jones D. (Out), Raridon (Questionable), Woodson (Questionable), Schooler (NFI List). | ||||||
Woodson, Raridon Are the Patriots’ Biggest Questions
Woodson sat out Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices before returning in a limited role Friday, an encouraging sign entering Sunday’s game, according to Patriots.com analyst Evan Lazar, after playing 51 snaps, 46 on defense, in last week’s win. Losing him would strip depth from a secondary already missing Dell Pettus, who landed on injured reserve earlier in the week.
Raridon’s outlook looks shakier. The rookie tight end managed a limited practice Wednesday, then sat out Thursday and Friday entirely, leaving the only Patriots pass catcher with a touchdown this season genuinely uncertain for Jacksonville. Cameron Latu and Tanner Arkin would absorb bigger blocking roles behind Hunter Henry if Raridon can’t answer the bell.
Cornerback Carlton Davis III supplied the rare good news. He practiced fully all three days and carries no game designation after missing last week’s win over Pittsburgh, restoring an experienced piece to a secondary that can’t afford to lose another.
Missing entirely from Friday’s sheet were receiver A.J. Brown, guard Mike Onwenu, safety Pettus and outside linebacker Harold Landry III, all previously placed on injured reserve or, in Landry’s case, the physically unable to perform list.
Their absences predate this week’s designations and make clear just how thin New England has already been ahead of the Week 3 Jacksonville matchup. Guard Greg Van Roten will start in Onwenu’s place at right guard, while tackle Morgan Moses (foot) and tackle Dametrious Crownover (knee) are both expected to play through lingering issues of their own. Fullback Reggie Gilliam (knee) and safety Brenden Schooler (back) carry no game designation either, despite remaining limited in practice all week.
What Patriots’ Thin Pass Rush Means Against Trevor Lawrence
Losing Jones and Hutchins in the same week pushes second-year edge rusher Elijah Ponder and rookie Gabe Jacas into even larger roles, the pair that combined for a sack and seven total pressures last week against Pittsburgh. Newly signed Jose Ramirez adds bodies, but not proven experience.
“Everybody’s preparing as a starter,” Vrabel said Friday, as quoted by Boston.com.
Jacksonville runs the NFL’s second-highest rate of 12 personnel and leans on multiple tight ends, a look that could push New England toward more base defense or a three-safety alignment if Woodson can’t go. The Patriots played five-defensive-back nickel on 103 of their first 115 defensive snaps this season, according to Patriots.com, a rate Sunday’s health questions could force them to abandon.
With both teams sitting at 1-1, how many of Friday’s questionable names actually suit up at EverBank Stadium could decide it.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist who covers MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, boxing, golf, and Olympic sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Newspaper and Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering the Olympics, pro baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
