When the Patriots issued Friday’s practice report listing injuries and player statuses for Sunday, a whopping 16 names were included, with ailments extending from Nick Folk’s left knee to the lingering effects of Shaun Wade’s concussion.
At a time of year when injury issues multiply for every team, including many we never learn about, the Pats are trying to overcome — well, manage — theirs, as they attempt to recover from a frustrating 2-4 start.
Meanwhile, their opponent from New York identified half as many players on its portion of the report. And injured or not, the Jets are all relatively well-rested following a Week 6 bye.
What pops off the page while perusing the Pats’ report is the prognosis for two players, in particular.
One, cornerback Jonathan Jones, is definitely unavailable. He was officially ruled “out” on Friday. By Saturday, he was placed on injured reserve.
The loss of Jones will be felt in a secondary already shorthanded. To help compensate, Myles Bryant has been signed off the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
Jones’s absence also coincides with a recent New York addition. Unlike in their 25-6 loss to the Patriots on Sept. 19, the Jets will have their leading receiver from the past two seasons, Jamison Crowder, once again operating in the space Jones defends best.
Oct 17, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive back Jonathan Jones (31) breaks up a pass intended for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ced Wilson (1) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
The other notable is defensive lineman Davon Godchaux. What makes Godchaux stand out has less to do with the Jets’ 31st-ranked running game — though it did double its per-game average (74.0) with 152 yards vs. the Pats in Week 2 — than the fact that he is officially “questionable.”
According to NFL Operations, it’s a term that means it is “uncertain if a player will play.” In other words, 48 hours before kickoff, the Pats were still saying there’s a chance a guy who didn’t practice all week could still play.
Normally, someone missing from Wednesday through Friday wouldn’t be considered come Sunday. But for the Patriots, these are no ordinary times.
Just last week, offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn was thrust into action despite coming off the COVID list and a full two weeks of inactivity only the previous day. Duty called out of dire necessity.
Of late, the Pats are playing with little to no margin for error. Frankly, they can use every available body.
Then there’s a third player conspicuous by his ongoing absence, but no longer on the weekly reports: running back James White. His season-ending hip injury in Week 3 left the Patriots with a major offensive void.
Veteran Brandon Bolden has mainly tried to fill it as the so-called ‘third-down back.’ But while Brandon’s a jack of the position’s trades, from running hard to making an occasional catch to reliably protecting the passer, White is a master of the role.
Now, let’s work our way backwards to address the aforementioned trio and how their situations factor into the Pats’ bid to beat the Jets for a 12th straight time.
No Question
Oct 17, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) scores a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Undoubtedly, White was off to a big bounce-back season after an extremely trying 2020.
He’d re-signed as a free agent in the offseason and opened the fall with 10 touches vs Miami. A week later, White got the ball 11 times at New York. His six catches netted 45 yards and five rushes gained 20, including a touchdown from seven yards out.
Without White, the Pats have been mostly missing a critical offensive aspect: the screen game. When timed well, that short type of pass has been a means to big plays in box scores, while serving a residual function less obvious. But no less important.
Namely, well-executed screens tend to slow down pass rushers. Especially when the back is sure-handed and sweet-footed and has extraordinary vision, like White.
After struggling to block the Cowboys’-5 pass rush, forcing the unexpected use of Wynn, the Pats must now protect rookie Mac Jones from a defense that ranks among the league’s top five in quarterback hits. Four different Jets have totaled at least 10 pressures through five games.
But, as White showed earlier this year, they’re susceptible to screens. Even in victory over Tennessee, they gave up eight catches to running back Jeremy McNichols, who was targeted 12 times vs. New York. In his other five games, McNichols’ target total was 11.
For the most part, second-year back J.J. Taylor, who’s seemingly built for the role at a shifty 5-foot-6, and the much bigger rookie Rhamondre Stevenson (6-0, 246 pounds) have watched the season unfold from the sideline.
But Stevenson is coming off a very solid performance in the loss to Dallas. In addition to his one-yard touchdown run, he had three receptions for 39 yards.
After one of those grabs, Stevenson encountered Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch in the open field. With a hard left-foot jab, Stevenson darted back to his right, leaving Vander Esch in his wake on an 11-yard catch and carry.
Stevenson has rebounded well from a lost fumble vs Miami and, while inexperienced in pro pass protection, he should have an opportunity to make the kind of plays New York has frequently allowed.
'Questionable'
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 19: Outside linebacker Dont’a Hightower #54 of the New England Patriots sacks quarterback Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium on September 19, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Godchaux, Christian Barmore, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Dont’a Hightower, Josh Uche, Kyle Van Noy, and Deatrich Wise.
All members of the defensive front seven. And half of the 14 Patriots in the category of “questionable.”
On Saturday, the Pats elevated defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale from the practice squad. As a 27-year-old from Pago Pago, American Samoa, Ekuale was signed to the team’s practice squad on Sept. 5. Originally signed by Cleveland as an undrafted free agent from Washington State, Ekuale was released by Jacksonville at the end of August.
The Pats want to be stouter when the Jets run. And when New York looks to pass, a focus will be on keeping athletic quarterback Zach Wilson in the pocket.
Typically, New England rotates liberally up front. Especially early in games. But considering the state of Godchaux and his big-bodied brethren, that luxury may not exist this weekend.
Seeking an answer
Nov 9, 2020; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder (82) gains yards after catch as New England Patriots defensive back Jonathan Jones (31) tackles during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Back in September, as the Jets readied to host the Patriots in their home opener at MetLife Stadium, Crowder was expected to be in the lineup. He’d been removed from the COVID reserve list and returned to practice after a groin injury in training camp.
Alas, Crowder didn’t suit up. Two weeks later, after an 0-3 start, he emerged midway through New York’s lone win over Tennessee. In all, Crowder was targeted nine times and made seven catches. He caught a TD pass off a Wilson rollout and a 29-yard completion on a scramble play.
As demonstrated against the Titans, Crowder gives the rookie Wilson a reliable short-to-intermediate stick mover who’s an especially tough cover when plays are extended.
”(Jamison) knows exactly where to go,” says his head coach Robert Saleh. “He knows exactly what to do. He knows exactly how to create separation and get big for a quarterback when it’s time to get a ball. So on those underneath throws, which is where Jamison lives, he is doing a really nice job of creating separation and making it easy for the quarterback to make those throws.
“That’s part of the thing we’ve been seeing, how Jamison has evolved over the past couple of weeks. Jamison has been a reliable pass catcher for a very long time, so it’s been very good for our offense.”
So, how can the Pats reduce Crowder’s involvement without slot corner Jones?
Perhaps they’ll turn to Bryant or shift Jalen Mills inside. For either diminutive defensive back, staying with the 5-foot-9 Crowder will be a tall task.
