Patriots Marcus Jones, DeVante Parker Status Revealed, Bills Full Strength: Final Injury Report
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills have released their final injury and practice participation reports ahead of their Week 18 contest in Western New York.
The Pats and Bills will face off this Sunday, Jan. 8 at 1 p.m. at Highmark Stadium.
Here is Friday’s full report, along with its potential implications for this matchup with significant playoff implications for both teams.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8-8)
OUT
No Players Listed.
DOUBTFUL
No Players Listed.
QUESTIONABLE
CB Jonathan Jones - Chest (LP)
WR Jakobi Meyers - Shoulder (LP)
CB Jalen Mills - Groin (LP)
DB Brenden Schooler - Hip (LP)
TE Jonnu Smith - Concussion (LP)
What it means for New England:
While the Patriots enjoyed perfect attendance from their 53-man roster on Friday, they still listed five players as questionable.
Still, the most positive news from Pats practice, in what could be their final session of the season, was the removal of cornerback Marcus Jones and wide receiver DeVante Parker from the injury report. Each player has cleared concussion protocol and will play on Sunday against the Bills .
Cornerbacks Jonathan Jones (chest) and Jalen Mills (groin) each participated in all three practices this week. Jones was a bit shaken up late in the fourth quarter of the Pats’ victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 17. Both he and Mills would be deeply missed on the perimeter, especially given Buffalo’s prowess in the vertical game. Receivers Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Isaiah McKenzie are capable of accumulating significant yardage on big plays from Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen. Their respective playing status is expected to be a game-time decision.
Jakobi Meyers left last Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury following his fourth-quarter touchdown, and thus is questionable for this week. Meyers has been New England’s most reliable receiver this season and would be a high loss for quarterback Mac Jones and the passing game if he is unable to play. It should be noted that he told reporters following his exit from the Pats victory over the Dolphins that he did not consider his status for Week 18 to be in jeopardy.
Tight end Jonnu Smith was a limited practice participant on both Thursday and Friday. The 27-year old had been in concussion protocol since New England’s Week 16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Having missed the team’s Week 17 contest against Miami, veteran tight end Matt Sokol was elevated from the practice squad and played 10 offensive snaps as the Pats second option behind starter Hunter Henry.
Lastly, rookie Brenden Schooler is questionable with a hip injury, after being listed as a limited participant for the first time on Thursday. Schooler has become a fixture on New England’s special teams coverage units, having logged 14 total tackles and two fumble recoveries while playing 77 percent of the Pats special teams snaps.
BUFFALO BILLS (12-3)
OUT
No Players Listed.
DOUBTFUL
No Players Listed.
QUESTIONABLE
No Players Listed.
The Bills received the best news possible on Friday morning, when they received word that saftey Damar Hamlin’s breathing tube had been removed and that he was able to communicate verbally for the first time since collapsing due to a cardiac event in the first quarter during their Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals. After suffering a cardiac event, medical personnel performed CPR on the field, and Hamlin needed to be resuscitated twice, leading to his being intubated for the past three days at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Since that time, Hamlin’s recovery has been nothing short of remarkable. On Friday morning, he was able to speak with his teammates in Orchard Park, briefly chatting with some individually via Facetime, as well as addressing the team as a whole.
The Bills did complete one transaction regarding Hamlin on Friday, officially placing the 24-year-old on season-ending injured reserve.
With news of Hamlin’s progress lifting the spirits of his teammates, they also will enter Sunday’s matchup with the Patriots as healthy as they have been all season. Buffalo listed zero players as out or questionable. The only non-participant on Friday was wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who was granted a day of veteran rest.
Cornerback Taron Johnson, who had been in concussion protocol throughout the week, cleared his assessments and was removed from Buffalo’s injury report. The club also activated cornerback Christian Benford from injured reserve, and expect him to play against the Patriots in Week 18.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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