FOXBORO, Mass. — Offensive tackle Trent Brown appeared limited at the New England Patriots’ second practice of Week 11.
Brown, the Patriots’ starting left tackle, practiced in full pads but without a helmet during the open media portion of Wednesday’s rain-soaked practice. During an early sled drill, Isaiah Wynn aligned at left tackle in his place.
Wynn played left tackle for the first four seasons of his NFL career, but the Patriots switched him to the right side this offseason. The move has not yielded positive results, as Wynn has been benched in multiple games and recently began seeing action at left guard.
Right tackle has been the Patriots’ biggest positional weakness this season, with replacements Marcus Cannon (who currently is on injured reserve) and Yodny Cajuste also struggling in pass protection.
Brown was absent from last Wednesday’s practice, the only one the Patriots held during their bye week. He is one of just two Patriots players to play every offensive snap through nine games. Right guard Mike Onwenu — whom head coach Bill Belichick indicated is not moving to right tackle — is the other.
Special teams-focused defensive lineman DaMarcus Mitchell was the lone player not spotted Wednesday. Mitchell also was the only player missing from Monday’s session.
Wide receiver DeVante Parker, running back Damien Harris, center David Andrews and defensive tackle Christian Barmore all have been present at both post-bye practices after missing the Patriots’ most recent game with various ailments. The Patriots will release their first injury report of the week Wednesday afternoon, detailing each player’s level of participation.
New England is preparing to host the New York Jets this Sunday at Gillette Stadium in an AFC East rematch with significant postseason implications. The 5-4 Patriots currently hold the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC. They trail the 6-3 Jets by one game in the standings and currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker by virtue of their 22-17 victory at MetLife Stadium in Week 8.
