Breaking: The New England Patriots have ruled out four players for Thursday night’s primetime matchup against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium,with kickoff set for 8:15 p.m. ET.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson is not yet ready to return from a toe injury, despite being limited in Tuesday’s practice - an advancement from previous non-participation. Fellow running back JaMycal Hasty is questionable due to a knee injury sustained last week.
On the defensive side, linebacker Jahlani Elliss will miss his second consecutive game with a hip injury, and his replacement, Jack Gibbens, initially managed a hamstring injury but is now cleared to play.
Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte is also out,having suffered a minor hamstring injury on a short week.
To address roster needs, the Patriots are considering elevating players from the practice squad, with running back D’Ernest Johnson, tight end CJ Dippre, and linebacker Darius Harris as top candidates. Johnson has been elevated for the past two games and this would be his final standard elevation.
The Patriots’ run defense, which allowed a season-high 5.4 yards per carry and a 57.1% rushing success rate against Tampa Bay last week, will face the third-most explosive rush offense in the league this week. Linebackers Marte Mapu and Jahlani Tavai are available for depth, with Tavai potentially seeing action on early downs and run situations, and Mapu in passing game scenarios.
star defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who was limited last week due to a back injury, is also cleared to play, though he has not been as disruptive recently, failing to record a quarterback pressure or run stuff in the last two weeks.
Following Thursday’s game, the Patriots have a 10-day break before visiting the Cincinnati Bengals on November 23rd.
