The Patriots downgraded starting CB Carlton Davis III to out and elevated P Mitch Wishnowsky from the practice squad for Sunday's home opener vs. the Steelers.

Wishnowsky is joining the game-day roster for the second consecutive week, with top punter Bryce Baringer still out. Baringer cannot be activated off injured reserve until Week 5, and with this being Wishnowsky's second standard elevation in as many weeks, the veteran punter has one more elevation before he'll need to be added to the 53-man roster. The Patriots won't need to worry about those roster mechanics until Week 4, but it's something that's on the radar in the coming weeks as they navigate Baringer's injury.

Last week, Wishnowsky handled punting responsibilities without any hiccups. The 34-year-old landed three punts inside the 20-yard line for a net average of 42.0 yards while the Pats punt coverage kept explosive Seahawks returner Rashid Shaheed in check. Wishnowsky also had a solid 46-yard punt out of his own end zone and K Andy Borregales made both his kicks with Wishnowsky as the holder. Based on Week 1, Wishnowsky is a capable backup for Baringer.

As for Davis, the Patriots starting cornerback will miss his first game as a Patriot due to a neck injury. Davis exited the Patriots Week 1 loss briefly in the first quarter after making a tackle before returning to the game, which could be when his neck injury occurred. Initially, Davis was listed as questionable on Friday's injury report after sitting out all three practices this week. On Saturday, New England downgraded the veteran cornerback to out for Week 2 – Davis will not play vs. the Steelers.

New England is expected to turn to third-year CB Charles Woods to replace Davis, with rookies Karon Prunty and Channing Canada also in the mix. Prunty was a healthy scratch in the Patriots season opener, but could be active this week with the Patriots opting not to elevate veteran CB Kindle Vildor from the practice squad despite Davis's absence. Prunty has the size (6-1, 192) and speed (4.45s 40) to cover the vertical route tree. Canada is also an option to be New England's fourth cornerback, but the undrafted rookie projects as more of a slot corner and special-teamer, whereas Prunty is an outside cornerback.

Initially, the concern here was the Patriots matching the Steelers massive group of pass-catchers led by WR DK Metcalf (6-3, 228), tight ends Pat Freirermuth (6-5, 251) and Darnell Washington (6-7, 264), and Michael Pittman Jr. (6-4, 223). However, Pittsburgh ruled Pittman Jr. out en route to New England. The Steelers wideout popped up on Wednesday's practice participation report as a limited participant due to a foot injury, then sat out the final two practices of the week. The Patriots being down their No. 2 cornerback (Davis) could be offset by the Steelers being without their No. 2 wide receiver (Pittman).

The questions now are who will replace Pittman Jr. in three-receiver sets for the Steelers and how will the Patriots match Pittsburgh's heavy personnel groupings. To the first question, the Steelers could turn to Ben Skowronek or rookie Germie Bernard as their third receiver alongside Metcalf and slot receiver Roman Wilson. Bernard is a highly-touted second-round pick who is a smooth route-runner and has some juice after the catch, with some comparing him to former Rams wide receiver Robert Woods. The second-rounder only played three offensive snaps in the Steelers opener vs. the Falcons, so he could be in line for a larger role.

As for how the Patriots will match the Steelers two tight end sets, that could decide Sunday's game when Pittsburgh has the ball. Last week, the Pats matched Seattle's heavy personnel groupings with a "big" nickel package that featured S Dell Pettus as a slot/box safety rather than NCB Marcus Jones. The results were mixed for New England in their three-safety nickel package, with Seattle producing +0.19 EPA per play with Pettus on the field compared to -0.06 EPA per play when Pettus was off the field in Week 1 (+0.25 difference).

The Patriots could turn to trade acquisition Jaylen Reed as the "big" nickelback this week, with Reed now having multiple weeks to get acclimated to the defense. New England might also stick in their three-corner nickel package with the 5-foot-8 Jones in the slot. Although he plays bigger than his listed height and weight, Jones getting matched in the run or pass game on Pittsburgh's tight ends could be a challenge. Without Pittman Jr., expect Pittsburgh to test the Patriots in their heavy personnel groupings.

The Patriots will host the Steelers in Sunday's home opener at Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.

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