Patriots downgrade one player on Friday, rule three out for Sunday
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 24: JuJu Smith-Schuster #7 of the New England Patriots runs for a first down in the second quarter of a game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 24, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The New England Patriots will be without wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) for the second week in a row when they take on the Denver Broncos this Sunday. Despite being limited at practice after playing Wednesday and Thursday, Smith-Schuster didn’t take part in Friday’s practice, and was ruled out for the game on Friday’s injury report.
Along with Smith-Schuster, running back Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) and safety Jabrill Peppers (hamstring) were both ruled out for the game. Neither practiced at all this week. Conor McDermott (concussion) also missed practice but is listed as limited despite not practicing all week.
READ MORE:
—Week 16 Patriots Mailbag
—What to watch for when the Patriots face the Broncos on Sunday
—The NFL had a weak response when asked about last week’s underinflated football issue
Meanwhile, three players returned to practice for the Patriots on Wednesday. Linebacker Anfernee Jennings (illness) and special teamer Cody Davis (illness) were both back after missing Thursday’s session, while tight end Hunter Henry (knee) took part in practice for the first time this week. Jennings and Henry were limited on Friday and are both questionable, while Davis was removed from the report.
Six other Patriots were limited and are listed as questionable for the game. That group is tackle Trent Brown (ankle/hand), defensive lineman Christian Barmore (shoulder), linebackers Ja’Whaun Bentley (knee) and Jahlani Tavai (ankle), cornerback Jonathan Jones (knee), and special teamer Matthew Slater (hamstring).
On the other side of things, the Broncos ruled three players out for the game – tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring/foot), tackle Alex Palczewski (knee), and linebacker Nik Bonitto (knee). Bonitto is the Broncos’ leading pass rusher this year, with seven sacks. No other players were given a game status for Denver.
Read more…
Rocky Mountain Christmas Showdown: Patriots vs. Broncos What To Watch For
On Sunday night, the New England Patriots will play their sixth Christmas Eve-day game, and their first ever game on Christmas Eve night. They’ll be in Colorado, taking on the Denver Broncos for their Week 16 matchup.
The Patriots are 4-2 all time on Dec. 24. That includes a 22-18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium last year. Prior to that they’d won four in a row in 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2017. This is the first time the Patriots will play on Christmas Eve without Tom Brady since their first such game in 1989.
READ MORE:
—Week 16 Patriots Mailbag
—J.C. Jackson’s season “likely” over
—Former Tom Brady teammate joins Patriots practice squad
As for this year’s matchup, it will be with a Broncos team the Patriots haven’t played since 2000. This is the first time the two franchises have gone the maximum of three years without playing each other since the early 1990s. Their last meeting was the COVID year in 2020, when the Broncos held on for a narrow 18-12 win at Gillette Stadium.
2020 was a transitionary season for both teams, who have undergone multiple big changes since. We’ll start with one of those changes as we get into this week’s What To Watch For…
Alex Barth is a digital content producer and on-air host for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Barth grew up in the Boston area and began covering both the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics, and Boston Red Sox in 2017 before joining the Hub in 2020. He now covers all things Boston Sports for 985TheSportsHub.com as well as appearing on air. Alex writes about all New England sports, as well as college football. You can follow him across all social media platforms at @RealAlexBarth.