Patriots Practice Report: Key Player Returns, Two Starters Absent

FOXBORO, Mass. — Wednesday’s Patriots practice offered both good and bad news for Bill Belichick’s struggling football team.

Punter Jake Bailey, who’s been on injured reserve for over a month, was on the field for the media portion of practice. Bailey was eligible to come off IR last week but never practiced before New England’s road game against Las Vegas. The fourth-year pro struggled with punting before suffering his undisclosed injury, but his abilities on kickoffs have been sorely missed.

Since Bailey landed on IR, Nick Folk and Tristan Vizcaino have combined to force just one touchback.

On the downside, receiver DeVante Parker and cornerback Jalen Mills both missed practice after sitting out the Raiders game. Parker is dealing with a concussion while Mills is nursing a nagging groin injury.

One final note: There was a new player on the field wearing No. 64. His appearance, coupled with the absence of practice squad running back J.J. Taylor, makes it fair to wonder whether the Patriots have released Taylor with rookie backs Kevin Harris and Pierre Strong proving effective in recent weeks. That’s pure speculation, though.

New England will practice again Thursday before holding a closed walkthrough Friday. Saturday’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. ET.

The Patriots are guaranteed to make the playoffs if they win their final three games, but a loss over that stretch would create the need for losses from other contenders.