The New England Patriots are facing significant personnel challenges as they gear up for their upcoming clash with the Denver Broncos, with a key offensive player now sidelined!
The Patriots' preparation for their game against the Denver Broncos has hit a snag, as starting center Garrett Bradbury was absent from practice on Thursday. Bradbury, who has been a stalwart on the offensive line, participating in a remarkable 1,191 offensive snaps from September all the way through January, is currently dealing with an illness. This absence is particularly notable as the AFC Championship Game looms closer.
But here's where it gets concerning for Patriots fans: Bradbury isn't the only one on the sidelines. Outside linebacker Harold Landry III and inside linebacker Marte Mapu also did not practice on Thursday. This leaves the Patriots with a considerable number of players in their injury report as the crucial game approaches.
This update comes from the second injury report released ahead of Sunday's 3 p.m. ET kickoff at Empower Field. Let's break down who's in and who's out:
DID NOT PARTICIPATE:
- Patriots:
- Center Garrett Bradbury (illness)
- Linebacker Harold Landry III (knee)
- Linebacker Marte Mapu (hip)
- Broncos:
- Quarterback Bo Nix (ankle)
And this is the part most people miss: Bradbury had maintained an impressive "ironman" streak, playing every single snap in the wild card and divisional rounds. His streak only saw a pause in the final two games of the regular season. For the linebackers, both Landry and Mapu have now missed two consecutive practices leading up to their trip to Denver. Landry's persistent knee issue has kept him on the injury report since late last fall. He was a question mark last weekend but was ultimately active, though he only saw 11 out of 75 defensive snaps. Mapu, on the other hand, has been sidelined due to a hip issue, missing all of the Broncos preparation after contributing to 58 percent of special teams work in their last outing.
LIMITED PARTICIPATION:
- Patriots:
- Wide Receiver Mack Hollins (abdomen — IR return)
- Tight End Hunter Henry (not injury related — rest)
- Offensive Tackle Morgan Moses (not injury related — rest)
- Offensive Tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee)
- Linebacker Christian Elliss (hip)
- Cornerback Carlton Davis III (concussion protocol)
- Broncos:
- Running Back J.K. Dobbins (foot — IR return)
- Wide Receiver Troy Franklin (hamstring)
- Center Alex Forsyth (ankle)
The Patriots officially opened Mack Hollins' activation window on Thursday. The veteran wideout, who was placed on injured reserve in December due to an abdomen injury, missed four games before rejoining practice in a limited capacity, wearing a red non-contact jersey. His return brings the total number of partial participants for the AFC East champions to six. Carlton Davis III is another notable name. The starting cornerback has been able to practice in consecutive sessions after entering the NFL's concussion protocol in the final moments of the divisional round. Before heading to the locker room, Davis had recorded two interceptions, two pass breakups, and four tackles, including one for a loss. This raises the question: how much of an impact does a player's absence, even for a short period, have on their performance upon return?
FULL PARTICIPATION:
- Patriots:
- Running Back TreVeyon Henderson (shoulder)
- Running Back Terrell Jennings (concussion protocol — IR return)
- Defensive Tackle Joshua Farmer (hamstring — IR return)
- Linebacker Robert Spillane (hand)
- Broncos:
- Wide Receiver Pat Bryant (concussion protocol)
- Tight End Lucas Krull (foot — IR return)
- Offensive Tackle Frank Crum (ankle)
- Center Luke Wattenberg (shoulder — IR return)
- Linebacker Drew Sanders (ankle — IR return)
- Safety JL Skinner (quad)
Interestingly, all of the Patriots' players who fully participated on Wednesday maintained their full participation on Thursday. Two of these players recently had their 21-day practice windows opened. Terrell Jennings, who has been on injured reserve since suffering a concussion on December 1st, is awaiting a potential return to the active running back group. Rookie defensive tackle Joshua Farmer also missed four games due to a hamstring injury. Similar to Hollins, both Jennings and Farmer are eligible to be added back to the 53-man roster, which is currently at full capacity. The deadline for any roster moves before the AFC Championship Game is set for Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
What are your thoughts on these injury situations? Do you think the Patriots can overcome these absences, or will it give the Broncos a significant advantage? Let us know in the comments below!
