While the New England Patriots are dealing with several injuries, they will get one key defensive reinforcement back when they face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
The Patriots activated defensive tackle Christian Barmore off injured reserve Saturday, clearing the path for him to suit up for the first time since a Week 6 win over the Cleveland Browns. Barmore missed the last seven games due to a knee injury.
The second-year defensive lineman is a key cog in the middle of New England’s defense and sure will be relied upon to slow down Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, who leads the NFL with 1,402 rushing yards.
While getting Barmore back is a positive, the good news for the Patriots can only last so long this season.
To make room for Barmore on the active 53-man roster, New England placed starting tackle Isaiah Wynn on injured reserve, which rules him out for the final four games of the regular season. Wynn, who has been sidelined for the last three games, was already ruled out of the matchup with the Raiders due to a foot injury.
It’s been a dismal fourth season with the Patriots for Wynn, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the season.
The Patriots made one other roster move ahead of their meeting with Las Vegas as they elevated linebacker Jamie Collins from the practice squad. Collins, who New England signed in October, has been called up twice already from the practice squad in games against the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals. The veteran linebacker only played five defensive snaps in the win over the Cardinals.
The Patriots and Raiders kickoff their Week 15 meeting from Allegiant Stadium at 4:05 p.m. ET.
