First Patriots injury report for Week 10 has players trending backward
The Patriots are coming off a near victory over the Titans last week, with rookie quarterback Drake Maye's primary effort being showcased. The game looked like a sure loss early on, and it didn't get much better as the afternoon progressed.
When the game was surprisingly on the line, Maye put the offense on his back and impressed the entire NFL world with a nearly 12-second scramble into a passing touchdown to Rhamondre Stevenson to send the game into overtime. That moment made many fans and analysts comfortable in saying the Patriots finally found their quarterback of the future.
The ending wasn't as thrilling, with Maye throwing a game-sealing interception on the Patriots first drive of overtime, but his efforts did not go unnoticed.
They have another good chance to add another win to their season against the Bears in Week 10, which will surely bring on a ton of storylines with the first and third overall picks going head-to-head for the first time in their NFL careers.
The good thing is that Maye will have most of his offensive teammates by his side, as only starting left tackle Vederian Lowe is dealing with an injury in the days leading to the game. The defense, however, is not as lucky. Safety Kyle Dugger continues to nurse an ankle injury that has kept him out of the last two games, and now linebacker Christian Elliss is on the injury report, as well.
DID NOT PARTICIPATE | LIMITED PARTICIPATION | FULL PARTICIPATION |
|---|---|---|
S Kyle Dugger (ankle) | DT Daniel Ekuale (abdomen) | CB Alex Austin (ankle) |
LB Christian Elliss (abdomen) | T Vederian Lowe (shoulder) | G Michael Jordan (ankle) |
RB JaMycal Hasty (NIR, personal) | S Marte Mapu (neck) | |
G Layden Robinson (ankle) | ||
DT Jaquelin Roy (neck) | ||
LB Sione Takitaki (knee) | ||
DE Keion White (knee) |
While the injury reports over the past two months have been far worse than this, seeing Dugger remain sidelined at the midway point is not ideal. Having him and Jabrill Peppers not on the field has put a lot of pressure on those stepping up in their place, and although it's been mostly good, it's never great to have your best players not in the game.
Elliss will be a name to watch over the next few days ahead of Sunday's matchup. He has earned more snaps on the field, even getting the nod over Joshua Uche before he was traded, and has had some flashy performances recently. So his absence, too, would be significant for the defense and special teams.
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