FOXBORO, Mass. — With 11 days before their playoff opener, the New England Patriots were missing three players from practice.
Fullback James Develin, tight end Dwayne Allen and safety Devin McCourty all weren’t spotted Wednesday during the portion of practice open to the media.
Develin announced on Instagram his wife is giving birth Wednesday, so that explains his absence.
McCourty suffered a head injury in Sunday’s Week 17 win over the New York Jets.
Allen played 26 snaps in Sunday’s game. This might not explain his absence, but Patriots running back James White posted on Instagram a video of Allen slipping on concrete in full uniform. Multiple Patriots players commented laughing at the video, so it’s unlikely a serious injury occurred during the spill.
The Patriots will play either the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens or Los Angeles Chargers in the divisional round of the playoffs. Their matchup won’t be set until this upcoming weekend.
