On Friday, Patriots (12-3) head coach Mike Vrabel met with the media after practice, where he listed the following seven players as being out for Sunday’s game against the Jets (3-12):
- WR Kayshon Boutte
- WR Mack Hollins
- OLB Harold Landry
- LB Robert Spillane
- DT Khyiris Tonga
- DT Milton Williams
- LG Jared Wilson
Vrabel also announced that TreVeyon Henderson and DeMario Douglas are listed as questionable, making the list of names that could be out for Sunday up to as many as nine players.
Not what you want to see if you’re a Pats fan, obviously, especially with the AFC’s top seed up for grabs.
They’ll still need some help from Denver (13-3) down the stretch here, but it’s going to take consecutive wins against the Jets and Dolphins (6-9) to wrap things up on their end.
“Everybody deals with it,” Vrabel told the media. “It's not something that's new to the National Football League, to me or anybody else. We'll elevate some guys, have to sign some guys and go from there.”
Williams' inclusion on this list, albeit discouraging, is not a surprise. While this was Williams’ first week back to practice after going on the IR after an injury to his ankle in Week 11, the 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle is still early on into his 21-day window.
Williams' absence, along with Spillane and Tonga, could mean a big day for Jets running back Breece Hall, who sits at 954 rushing yards on the season - good for 14th in the NFL.
UPDATE: The Patriots announced on Saturday that Hollins has now been placed on injured reserve due to his abdomen injury.
Despite the injuries, Vegas has not moved the line at all, as New England is still sitting as a 13.5-point favorite as of publishing. You can get them at -900 on the moneyline, and the total sits at 42.5.
The status of Henderson and Douglas will be officially announced 90 minutes before kickoff.
Tune in each and every Monday throughout the football season to Patriots Monday on WEEI. Head coach Mike Vrabel joins The Greg Hill Show at 6:30 a.m. ET, and quarterback Drake Maye joins WEEI Afternoons.