New England Patriots: 5 players to watch for vs Tennessee Titans

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BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 7: Kyle Van Noy #53 of the New England Patriots looks on before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on September 7, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Kyle Van Noy

Kyle Van Noy has developed into an every-down player for the Patriots. He has become the leader of the defense, stepping into the role that was vacated by Dont’a Hightower when he went down with a shoulder injury.

Unfortunately, Van Noy has also succumbed to injury. Van Noy has battled a calf injury, which caused him to miss full games near the end of the season, and be limited in games he got into. In the first 11 games of the season, Van Noy played at least 83.6 percent of the snaps. Since then. He has not played more than 22.4 percent of plays.

Van Noy played against the New York Jets in the season finale. However, he was on the field for only 12 plays, 20.3 percent of the Patriots defensive snaps in the game. He did not record any stats in the game.

The extra week to rest should definitely help Van Noy, but how much will he be able to produce for the Patriots? This injury has been lingering for weeks, severely limiting his impact on the game.

Van Noy will be a player to watch because of his health and the offense the Titans run. Slowing down the run and defending Delanie Walker are two things the linebackers will be responsible for. Can Van Noy help them do that if he is hampered by an injury?

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