New England Patriots
The Patriots might be without their top corner entering a key matchup against Josh Allen and the Bills.
The New England Patriots’ injury woes are not improving going into a daunting Week 4 road matchup against Josh Allen and the Bills.
New England’s latest injury report listed 11 players, with four missing Thursday’s practice: cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder), defensive lineman Christian Barmore (shoulder), offensive tackle Morgan Moses (foot), and fullback Reggie Gilliam.
Edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder), linebacker Christian Elliss (chest), tight end Eli Raridon (thigh), safety Brenden Schooler (back), cornerback Channing Canada, and safety Craig Woodson (shoulder) were all limited, while Drake Maye landed on the injury report again with a right shoulder ailment.
Maye was a full participant during Thursday’s practice.
Gonzalez’s absence for the second straight practice is a major setback for New England, given that he held court as the Patriots’ top player through the first three weeks of the season.
Gonzalez appeared to injure himself in the first quarter of Sunday’s 35-6 loss to the Jaguars after tackling LeQuint Allen Jr. New England’s training staff assessed Gonzalez on the sideline, but he played the rest of the game.
If healthy, Gonzalez would be expected to cover some of Allen’s top targets on Sunday at Highmark Stadium. The league’s highest-paid corner did his part to shut down top wideouts like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf to open the season.
If Gonzalez can’t go on Sunday, Carlton Davis will likely step up as New England’s top corner, with Marcus Jones and Charles Woods earning more snaps in the resulting domino effect.
“We’ve got guys in those roles [who] have stepped up and they played, and they [had] played in big roles, they’ve played in smaller roles, but they played in NFL games,” cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton said of New England’s depth. “You put them in there, and you try to prepare them.
“Just like we tell them every week. Prepare like starters, and then they get their opportunity to go, make the most of it.”
The loss of Barmore would also be a brutal blow for New England in its efforts to slow down a dynamic, bruising run game anchored by Buffalo’s James Cook.
Moses also exited Sunday’s road loss in Jacksonville in the second half, with rookie Caleb Lomu replacing him at right tackle.
Lomu — New England’s 2026 first-round pick — could be staring at his first career NFL start if Moses isn’t cleared before Sunday.
Given Maye’s extended struggles so far this year, his shoulder issue bears watching — even if he brushed aside any concerns about his arm on Wednesday.
Speaking on Thursday, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels acknowledged that Maye took some bumps and bruises during Sunday’s loss to Jacksonville.
“I believe he got dinged last week,” McDaniels said. “We haven’t had a big meeting and talked about specifically, like exactly this and that or the other happened. He ran the ball a few times last week, and I think that’s what happened.”
Despite that injury and Maye’s poor play through three weeks (one touchdown, six interceptions), McDaniels stressed that New England hasn’t had to adjust its game plan to account for Maye’s shoulder.
“He’s always been a guy that can run and do things with his legs and all that,” McDaniels said. “He’s taken a few hits since he’s been in the National Football League. You know, that’s kind of part of the process when you when you can make things happen with your legs, you know, you’re going to incur some hits.
“They would obviously tell me, obviously, if there was something that we felt like we couldn’t do or he couldn’t do. That has not been the case. I know he’s a tough kid. I know that for sure. Doesn’t make a big deal out of much. And so, business as usual for us.”
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