The New England Patriots will be missing 80% of their starting offensive line Sunday when they take the field against the Houston Texans.
Left tackle Isaiah Wynn and left guard Mike Onwenu were not removed from the reserve/COVID-19 list Saturday, ruling them out for this week’s game.
The Patriots previously ruled out right tackle Trent Brown (calf) and right guard Shaq Mason (abdomen) with injuries. All four did not practice this week. Center David Andrews will be their available O-line starter.
New England placed Brown on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least the next three games. He’ll be eligible to return Oct. 31 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Brown has not played since the opening drive of Week 1.
To fill out this depleted group, the Patriots elevated offensive linemen James Ferentz, Alex Redmond and Will Sherman from the practice squad. They’ll plug the four vacant spots with some combination of Ted Karras (guard), Justin Herron (tackle), Yasir Durant (tackle/guard), Yodny Cajuste (tackle), Ferentz (guard), Redmond (guard) and Sherman (tackle/guard).
Possible combinations include:
Herron-Karras-Andrews-Ferentz/Redmond-Durant
Cajuste-Karras-Andrews-Ferentz/Redmond-Herron
Cajuste-Karras-Andrews-Durant-Herron
Herron-Karras-Andrews-Durant-Cajuste
The Patriots’ offensive line has performed below expectations even when largely intact this season. New England has allowed nine or more quarterback hits in each of its three losses and struggled to run the ball effectively.
The Patriots also elevated defensive back Myles Bryant from the practice squad after ruling out starting cornerback Jalen Mills.
