FOXBORO, Mass. — Every New England Patriots player was present and accounted for at practice Wednesday afternoon, including a new offensive lineman.
An unidentified player wearing No. 72 appears to have taken over the practice squad spot previously occupied by offensive tackle Eric Smith, who signed with the New York Jets on Tuesday.
The Patriots also had perfect attendance at each practice last week ahead of their 17-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re preparing to host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in their second-to-last game of the regular season.
The loss to the Steelers dropped the 9-5 Patriots to third place in the AFC, one game behind the 10-4 Houston Texans. In order to leapfrog the Texans and secure a first-round playoff bye for the ninth consecutive year, they need to win out and have Houston lose at least one of its final two games.
New England defeated Buffalo 25-6 on the road in Week 8.
