The Patriots have a tall task ahead of them, as they are set to play the Arizona Cardinals on the road in Week 15. They're coming off their bye week with plenty of rest and (hopefully) a lot of mistake-correcting to improve upon, and they have a good chance to leave Glendale with another win on the season, even if some fans don't want to see that due to draft positioning.
The Cardinals have consistently underperformed later in the year, and they are on that track again with three straight losses coming into this game. They have a 6-7 record, good for third in the division, and hope to make the playoffs.
The Patriots could ruin their chances by handing them another loss while adding the fourth win to their season in the process. While it would ultimately impact their currently desirable draft positioning, winning is good for the culture and team morale, which has been a problem for the new regime this year.
It would be great to see them come off a bye week ready to play hard and get a win, as they have looked a lot like the opposite in the weeks beforehand.
They should have a good chance to accomplish that if the defense can step up and the offense can stop the penalties and move the chains, especially in the red zone, which would be quite an improvement from the last month of performances.
Full Inactives List for the New England Patriots
PLAYER NAME | POSITION |
|---|---|
Javon Baker | WR |
Tyrese Robinson | G |
Marte Mapu | LB |
Joe Milton | QB |
Cole Strange | OL |
Key Absences and Their Impact
Offensive Impact
There was a lot of hope that rookie tackle Caedan Wallace would return this week and help with the continuous offensive line issues that have plagued the Patriots the entire season. Unfortunately, we will have to wait a bit longer, but with three games left on the schedule, he has some time to make it back on the field.
Over the next three weeks, it will be crucial to see what the team has in their rookies and the roster in general, especially heading into an even more important offseason with a lot of cap space to spend.
The same can be said about rookie wide receiver Javon Baker, who is yet to make a catch this year. He and Ja'Lynn Polk have been disappointing after an impressive showing throughout the summer, with some of the blame being placed on the coaching staff for how they've handled the situation for their rookie players.
Neither player's absence from this week's game is a huge loss for the offense, but there will be issues if starting tackle Vederian Lowe is out or the return of left guard Cole Strange remains on hold.
Defensive impact
There are several important defensive players listed as questionable heading into this game, making it a bit nerve-wracking for fans hoping the Patriots have a chance to sneak out a late-season win.
Most of those dealing with injuries are reportedly not serious, increasing their chances of being on the field on Sunday afternoon. It's essential that cornerback Christian Gonzalez can suit up, as the secondary has been struggling around him, and he's become the beacon of hope throughout the year.
Full Inactives List for the Arizona Cardinals
PLAYER NAME | POSITION |
|---|---|
Khyiris Tonga | NT |
Travis Vokolek | TE |
Xavier Weaver | WR |
Christian Jones | T |