The Patriots will be without three of the team’s best players on Thanksgiving.
When New England released their weekly practice report, they listed Chandler Jones, Logan Mankins and Rob Gronkowski as out for Thursday night’s matchup against the Jets. The Gronkowski news comes as no surprise — the tight end was diagnosed with a broken forearm, likely to keep him out for 4-6 weeks.
Jones hurt his ankle on Sunday against the Colts and didn’t show much of a limp coming off the field. He sat in the locker room for the entire second half and will now miss his first game of his ten-game career. Jones has been perhaps the best defensive player on the Patriots’ roster due to his versatility in getting after the passer and being a stout run defender. Jones will likely be replaced by a rotation of Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Deaderick, Trevor Scott and Justin Francis.
Mankins will miss his second game in a row and fifth of the season. He’s listed with an injured ankle and calf. Last season, Mankins played most of the season on a torn ACL, so when he’s hurt, you know he’s really hurt.
