Patriots Injury Report: Four Key Defenders Miss Practice Again
New England could be shorthanded on defense in Week 16
The New England Patriots are preparing for their upcoming Week 16 contest against the Baltimore Ravens, and it’s clear that injuries are going to play a role in this game. On Thursday, the Pats were dealt some concerning injury updates on the defensive side of the ball.
For much of the year, New England did well to avoid the injury bug, but it is beginning to get hit hard down the homestretch of the season. Milton Williams and Will Campbell are both on injured reserve, and it was hard not to notice Robert Spillane’s absence from the team’s Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Besides Campbell, the Pats appear to be pretty healthy on offense heading into this one. The same can’t be said for the defense, as Spillane, Carlton Davis III, Marcus Jones and Harold Landry III all missed practice for the second straight day, throwing their status for Sunday up in the air.
It’s safe to say the concern level regarding these injuries is growing. Landry has missed multiple practices in previous weeks before logging a limited session on Friday and suiting up on Sunday, so he should be able to play if he can practice on Friday.
The rest of the guys are big question marks, though. Spillane didn’t play against the Bills, despite being active for the game, which isn’t a good sign. Davis suffered a groin injury during that game, and while he returned, it appears he isn’t fully healthy. And Jones suffered a knee injury along the way, too, that could hold him out of this huge upcoming game.
All these key players will have one more practice to get themselves back on the practice field, but they are all trending in the wrong direction currently. As a result, it will be worth checking Friday’s injury report to see what their official game statuses end up being.
