HOUSTON — After all of the concern over the Foxboro Flu that ripped through the New England Patriots’ locker room this week, the illness only knocked one — maybe two — players out of Sunday night’s showdown with the Houston Texans.
Here’s the Patriots’ full list of inactives:
TE Ryan Izzo (illness)
CB Jason McCourty (groin)
DT Byron Cowart (head)
G Jermaine Eluemunor (illness)
QB Cody Kessler
RB Damien Harris
OT Korey Cunningham
— Izzo, McCourty and Cowart were ruled out Friday and Saturday.
— Eluemunor missed practice Wednesday then was limited Thursday and Friday with an illness. He easily could have been inactive even without the illness, however. It’s unclear if he’s a healthy scratch or if his absence is related to the illness.
— Ben Watson and Matt LaCosse will be the Patriots’ tight ends Sunday night. Linebacker Elandon Roberts also could take snaps at fullback.
— JC Jackson will start in place of McCourty. Stephon Gilmore and Jonathan Jones will fill out the Patriots’ starting cornerback group. Rookie Joejuan Williams and special-teamer Justin Bethel also could see action on defense.
— Wide receivers Phillip Dorsett (concussion) and Mohamed Sanu (ankle) are back in action after missing last week.
— The following players were questionable but are active: Dorsett, Sanu, S Patrick Chung (illness/heel/chest), LB Jamie Collins (illness), CB Stephon Gilmore (illness), LB Dont’a Hightower (illness), CB Joejuan Williams (illness), OT Isaiah Wynn (illness), LB Ja’Whaun Bentley (knee), OT Marcus Cannon (illness), S Nate Ebner (ankle/back), WR Julian Edelman (shoulder), WR Matthew Slater (hamstring) and LB Kyle Van Noy (illness).
— Marshall Newhouse will be the Patriots’ swing tackle behind Wynn and Cannon.
— Jarrett Stidham will back up QB Tom Brady, who has dealt with elbow soreness over the last two weeks.
— The Patriots’ offense is back at full power with Wynn, Sanu and Dorsett playing. Now we’ll see if they can show some more firepower.
