Patriots' Injury Situation Spirals in Bills' Favor With Two Key Starters Ruled Out

New England's tricky injury situation took a turn for the worse on Friday afternoon as head coach Mike Vrabel ruled out two more starting defenders ahead of Sunday's critical AFC East matchup against the Bills in Orchard Park.

Jan 8, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen (17) prepares to throw a pass as New England Patriots' defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) closes in during the second quarter at Highmark Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports

It’s no secret: the New England Patriots are struggling in many areas, especially on the injury front, heading into Sunday’s AFC East matchup with the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.

And, on Friday afternoon, those issues became even more glaring for Buffalo’s divisional counterpart as Patriots’ head coach Mike Vrabel ruled out starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez and starting interior defensive lineman Christian Barmore ahead of the pivotal matchup with the Bills this weekend in Orchard Park.

Barmore and Gonzalez are both dealing with apparent shoulder injuries.

Sept. 20, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots' starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) looks on before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Both those guys—Barmore and Gonzalez—will be out. That’ll be the only ones that will have the ‘OUT’ designation,” head coach Mike Vrabel said to reporters in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Friday.

“There will be some others listed as questionable, I’m sure, later.”

Huge hole in Patriots’ defense

Oct 22, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots' linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley (8) and defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) tackle Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Gonzalez, who recently signed a record-breaking contract last month, and Barmore, who signed a massive four-year, $84 million extension of his own with the team back in 2024, are two of New England’s more prominent figures on defense, and the news of their upcoming absence is certainly troubling for the spiraling Super Bowl runner-ups from this past February.

Considering all of the recent injuries, as well as a string of bad play, things are looking bleak for the Patriots heading into Week 4, and the loss of Gonzalez and Barmore will make the situation that much more difficult for Vrabel’s squad come Sunday.

That’s good news for Buffalo, however, as a victory would give first-year head coach Joe Brady’s cast of characters a massive three-game advantage over New England heading into the second week of October, as well as a head-to-head tiebreaker in hand moving forward this fall.

New England Patriots' head coach Mike Vrabel high-fives his players during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

That’s nothing to take lightly, and it’s what makes the outlook so poor for the Patriots despite all of last season’s unexpected success.

Buffalo will undoubtedly be looking to take control of this situation the team has been fortunately afforded, and not having to deal with two of the Patriots’ top defenders makes the task just a little less daunting.

Certain Bills’ players need to capitalize on matchup with backups

Dec. 14, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills' running back James Cook III (4) crosses the goal line for a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yes, New England is down right now, but that can quickly change with a win in Western New York over the Bills.

With that in mind, players like running back James Cook III, as well as outside receivers D.J. Moore, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer, will need to take full advantage of their matchups on Sunday.

With Gonzalez and Barmore in the lineup, the Patriots have allowed just 170 passing yards per game so far this season, which currently ranks second in the NFL, and they’ve also only given up 108.3 yards (17th) per game on the ground.

Oct. 5, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills' wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) makes a catch while being covered by New England Patriots' cornerback Carlton Davis III (7) during the second half at Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Needless to say, with those two players not on the field this weekend, the running and passing lanes should be a little less congested in Western New York than they would be otherwise.

So, like has been stated many times this week, the Bills need to capitalize . . . or possibly pay the price later on this season.

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