FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots held their lone bye-week practice Wednesday afternoon, hitting the fields behind Gillette Stadium in full pads before dispersing for the weekend.
Two notable players were not spotted during the open media portion of practice: tight end Ben Watson and safety Patrick Chung. The reasons for their absences were unclear.
Watson played every offensive snap during Sunday night’s 37-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Chung started the game but played just 38.6 percent of snaps, often subbing out for Jonathan Jones or Terrence Brooks.
It’s unclear whether these rotations were injury-related — Chung was listed as questionable entering the game with heel and chest ailments and already has missed two games this season — or part of New England’s plan to defend Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s top-ranked rushing offense.
Though Watson never left the field Sunday night, he did take a hit to the head from Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey that drew a personal foul. The 38-year-old suffered a concussion on a high hit during the preseason.
Teams are not required to release injury reports during their bye weeks, so we won’t receive official updates on Watson’s and Chung’s conditions until next week.
Patriots players now will be off Thursday through Sunday. They’ll return to the practice field next Monday ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
