The bad news came earlier in the week when the Patriots announced captain center David Andrews (concussion), safety Kyle Dugger (ankle), and defensive lineman Christain Barmore (knee) would be inactive due to injuries. David Andrews suffered a concussion last week due to a blindside block after a Bailey Zappe interception. While Kyle Dugger is nursing an ankle injury, and Christian Barmore has been out since the first quarter of Week 6 with a knee injury. Along with these key players, the Patriots also announced three healthy scratches, defensive lineman Sam Roberts, cornerback Shaun Wade, and running back Kevin Harris.
The expectation is that sixth-year veteran James Ferentz will step in for Andrews at center. Ferentz, who has mainly stayed on the Patriots practice squad, started two games at left guard last season and has made six appearances since 2017. Offensive line coach Matt Patricia said Friday, “James Ferentz is a great player who’s been in our system a long time.” New England also elevated undrafted rookie Kody Russey from the practice squad. As a depth piece, Russey will be active for his first career NFL game. Furthermore, some good news came to the offensive line as the Patriots will get back Isaiah Wynn and Yodny Cajuste. Wynn was inactive last week due to a shoulder injury, and Cajuste was taken off the injured reserve last week.
With Kyle Dugger’s absence, rookie Joshuah Bledsoe will be active for the first time since Week 3. He has played five defensive snaps this season and has been targeted twice. He will play behind Devin McCourty, Adrian Phillps, and Jabrill Peppers. The Patriots will roll with Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Carl Davis, and Detrich Wise on the defensive front. However, the Patriots will miss second-year pro-Christian Barmore.
Back to the offense, the Patriots will have their whole receiver group healthy for the first time this season. This brings into question who will play the most snaps between Kendrick Bourne, Nelson Agholor, and Tyquan Thornton. The expectation is that Jakobi Meyers and DeVante Parker will lead the group. Bourne will return after missing last week with a turf toe, and Nelson Agholor has been dealing with a hamstring injury. Both players could be playing their final game in a Patriots uniform as the trade deadline is coming up on Tuesday, November 1st, and both have been discussed in trade deadlines.
The linebacker group will mostly stay the same, but third-year edge Josh Uche will be active after a two-game hiatus. The third-down pass rusher had been dealing with a hamstring issue and had been a healthy scratch earlier in the season.
On to the Jets, who have been hit hard with injuries all week. Rookie back Breece Hall was placed on the IR along with versatile guard Alijah Vera-Tucker. Veteran receiver Corey Davis was ruled out earlier in the week, but sophomore Elijah Moore will return after missing last week as a healthy scratch. Additionally, first-round pick Jermaine Johnson will be inactive. One of the bigger surprises came on Saturday when the Jets elevated fourth-round quarterback Chris Stevler from their practice squad. Notably due to the recent struggles, the Patriots have had with mobile quarterbacks, the Jets chose to put Stevler on the inactive list.
The entire Patriots and Jets inactive list is below.
Patriots
C David Andrews
DT Christian Barmore
S Kyle Dugger
RB Kevin Harris
DT Sam Roberts
CB Shaun Wade
Jets
QB Chris Streveler
DL Jermaine Johnson
QB Joe Flacco
WR Corey Davis
RB Zonovan Knight
CB Bryce Hall
S Tony Adams
The Patriots and Jets kick off at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 17-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Thepatriotsbeat@gmail.com with any inquires.
