The Patriots will not have their top pass catcher or defender available against the Bills. While the team traveled to Buffalo without Stephon Gilmore, Julian Edelman will land on IR Saturday.
Edelman has run into knee trouble and underwent surgery this week. While Edelman will be out for at least three weeks — perhaps longer — Bill Belichick expects him to return this season, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
New England’s already limited passing attack will be down N’Keal Harry as well, creating one of the thinnest Patriot receiving crews in Belichick’s 21-year tenure. Edelman, who posted a career-high 1,117 receiving yards last season, leads the Pats with 315 this year. However, 179 of those came in Week 2 against what turned out to be a bottom-end Seahawks defense. Harry has 19 receptions for 172 yards. Damiere Byrd — the only non-Edelman Patriot with more than 200 receiving yards this season — and Jakobi Meyers are in line to be Cam Newton‘s top receivers against the Bills.
Gilmore suffered a knee injury in practice this week. Although the reigning defensive player of the year contracted the coronavirus, this will be his first missed game this season. Gilmore has not missed any time since the 2017 season.
This injury comes at an interesting time for the former Bills first-round pick. Gilmore landed in trade rumors during draft time and before training camp, and with the Patriots at 2-4 and not looking like a Super Bowl contender for the first time in over a decade, the 30-year-old stalwart’s name has come up again. The Pats gave Gilmore a raise ahead of this season, but considering where the cornerback market has gone, the premier boundary defender will likely push for a new deal in 2021. For what it’s worth, Gilmore rumors did not point to a pre-deadline trade prior to this injury news surfacing.
Sitting Gilmore this week is smart. Don’t let him go out and get hurt, then he has no trade value. I think he has played his last game with the Pats.
Prob so, and as a fan, I appreciate everything he’s for the team.
Next man up.
He’s done*
Pats don’t win in Buffalo is it, turn the lights off, it’s over.
Patriots next face Bills/Jets/Ravens. Likely making the Patriots be 3-6. They would then have to win 7 straight and still face the Rams, Cardinals, and Bills (again). That’s rough.
Patriots next face Bills/Jets/Ravens. Likely making the Patriots be 3-6. They would then have to win 7 straight and still face the Rams, Cardinals, and Bills (again). That’s rough.
I think the Patriots will end the season 6-10.
The pats were done when they decided not to get any offensive help at WR and TE and decided not to fix the LB and DL instead they add more special teams and OL players they don’t really really need Cam had no chance of being anything more than a runner and hand-offer
This season has been a wash they let Brady go fine I get that but you screwed ur self with the cap you add nothing when you freed up 30+ M now you may trade your best player for pennies on the dollar but the saddest thing is are no nonsense coach don’t talk to press demanding GM and the best we’ve seen in a long time is doing f/ing commercials WHAT we’re officially in the rebuild mode
The only good thing this season is are owners case for getting his rocks off was dropped