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Patriots Cornerbacks, O-Line Battered Before Bears Clash
22 Oct
Summary
- Several key cornerbacks are inactive due to hamstring and neck injuries.
- Offensive line depth is critically low with multiple guards sidelined.
- New starting guards will make their debut against Chicago's strong passing attack.
The New England Patriots are heading into their Thursday night matchup against the Chicago Bears with significant personnel shortages at both cornerback and offensive line. Head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed on Wednesday that several players would be inactive.
At cornerback, Channing Canada and Karon Prunty are sidelined with hamstring injuries, while Carlton Davis remains out with a neck injury. This leaves a thin group including Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, Charles Woods, and Kindle Vildor to defend Chicago's established passing attack, a critical challenge with Davis out for his third consecutive game.
The offensive line is experiencing similar issues, with guards Ben Brown and Alijah Vera-Tucker out due to knee and hamstring injuries, respectively. This marks the third and fourth guards to miss time for New England. Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor are set to start at guard, with Pryor recently signed from the Cardinals' practice squad.
Further complicating matters, offensive tackle Morgan Moses is dealing with a foot injury, making his game status uncertain. Rookie Caleb Lomu is the next option at tackle. The team has also re-signed Jacob Rizy and Andrew Rupcich to their practice squad, suggesting potential elevations for Thursday's game to bolster the thinning offensive line, which has protected Drake Maye well recently.
