The Patriots are preparing for head coach Mike Vrabel's return to Tennessee in Sunday's matchup vs. the Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
On Friday, New England listed LB Harold Landry (ankle), WR Stefon Diggs (chest), S Jaylinn Hawkins (hamstring), and CB Charles Woods (knee) as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Titans.
Defensively, the Patriots injuries at edge rusher are continuing into this week. Over the last few weeks, starter K'Lavon Chaisson (knee) and top backups Anfernee Jennings (ankle) and Keion White (elbow) have missed games due to injury. Now, Landry is in jeopardy of missing his return to Tennessee, where he played his first seven seasons of his NFL career.
The eighth-year pro joined the Titans as a second-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, Vrabel's first draft as Titans head coach. Landry's 50.5 sacks rank eighth all-time in Titans history, while his 70 tackles for loss are second in franchise history. Last offseason, the Titans released Landry, opening the door for him to reunite with Vrabel in New England.
Landry has been an excellent addition to the Patriots defense and locker room after being voted a team captain, leading the Patriots with 4.5 sacks and 25 total pressures. In Week 6, Landry appeared to suffer a significant injury when his leg got caught underneath a pile while attempting to make a tackle. Landry left the game briefly in the first quarter but remarkably returned after a brief absence. During practice this week, Landry was a non-participant in the first two sessions before returning in a full capacity for Friday's practice, giving him a chance to play on Sunday.
Typically, Landry rushes over the right tackle. On the other side, LB K'Lavon Chiasson rushes over the left tackle, with the duo playing most of the snaps together on the edge of the defense. Although it has mostly been Chaisson and Landry on the edge, Chaisson missed the Patriots win over the Bills in Week 5, giving us an indicator of how New England might replace Landry in Sunday's game if necessary.
Before he was injured in the fourth quarter, White started and played 19 snaps on the edge against the Bills. Then, it was Jennings (20 snaps) and undrafted rookie Elijah Ponder (11 snaps) in Chaisson's spot. Last week, DT Milton Williams played seven snaps at defensive end when Landry was evaluated for his ankle injury. The Pats have also used LB Jahlani Tavai on the edge at times since his return from injured reserve in Week 5, with Tavai playing 13 of his 34 snaps at edge defender.
Assuming that Jennings and White return in Nashville, one would expect that they'll get the first crack at filling the void left behind by Landry if needed. However, the Patriots have other options in Ponder and Tavai, while the defensive linemen can play on the edge in a pinch. When the duo is healthy, the Patriots have gotten solid production from Chaisson and Landry. Still, given the rash of injuries at edge defender, it's a position worth monitoring with the trade deadline approaching after Week 9 (Nov. 4).
In the secondary, Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) was a full participant in practice this week and won't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game. New England could also get starting S Jaylinn Hawkins back. Hawkins missed last week's game vs. the Saints due to a lingering hamstring injury, returning to practice in a limited capacity. If he needs another week to recover, one would expect that Kyle Dugger will start for Hawkins again on Sunday.
Without Hawkins last week, rookie Craig Woodson and Dugger played most of the snaps at safety. In the win over New Orleans, Woodson had his best game of the season with three run stops, a quarterback pressure on a blitz, and a few quality reps in deep coverage. Dugger was on the scene for a 53-yard completion on the Saints first play from scrimmage. However, defensive play-caller Zak Kuhr noted that the call put the veteran in a difficult position covering WR Chris Olave on a corner blitz. Besides the tough start, Dugger had a solid outing vs. the Saints.
Moving over to the offense, key starters WR Stefon Diggs (chest) and RT Morgan Moses (hip) popped up on the injury report this week. Although he's officially questionable, Diggs was upgraded to a full participant in Friday's practice, a positive sign, while Moses is good to go.
It's unclear when Diggs sustained his chest injury, as the star wideout finished last Sunday's game vs. the Saints. Diggs leads the Patriots in targets, receptions, and receiving yards while emerging as a leader on the team. Obviously, not having Diggs would be a tough blow to New England's offense. However, other receivers such as Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins and rookie Kyle Williams have stepped up when given opportunities.
Along the offensive line, Moses was limited in the first two practices this week to manage a hip injury but won't carry an injury designation into Sunday's game. New England's starting offensive line in front of QB Drake Maye will remain the same for the sixth time in seven games: LT Will Campbell, LG Jared Wilson, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Mike Onwenu, and RT Moses.
New England has had good health along the offensive line this season, using the same starting five in five of their six games, with rookie LG Jared Wilson being the only starter to miss a game. The continuity, upgraded personnel, and improved scheme have led to better results. This season, the Pats rank third in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency metric. Last season, New England was 31st in pass-blocking efficiency.
As for Tennessee, the Titans have notable injuries to WR Calvin Ridley (hamstring) and pass-rusher Arden Key (quad). Ridley injured his hamstring in the second quarter of last week's loss to the Raiders. Last season, the star wideout had five catches for 73 receiving yards while Key strip-sacked Maye in the Titans overtime win. Taking those two out of the equation for Tennessee is massive, especially Ridley. Without him, the Titans are very limited offensively, relying heavily on rookie Elic Ayomanor and veteran Van Jefferson at wide receiver.
Along with the interesting storylines surrounding Vrabel and others returning to Tennessee, the Patriots are attempting to do something they've never done in franchise history: win three consecutive regular-season road games in a three-week span. Over the last two weeks, New England has won games against the Bills and Saints, improving to 4-2. Now, they'll try to complete the trifecta by winning on the road vs. the Titans, which would make them 4-0 in road games this season.
On Saturday, the Patriots will travel to Nashville for Sunday's 1 p.m. ET kickoff against the Titans. We'll keep you updated on any roster moves en route to Tennessee.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
