The New England Patriots are heading into Week 5 with more offensive attrition, and the timing couldn’t be worse for a team trying to steady itself after a 2-2 start.
Before their matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders, New England put fullback Reggie Gilliam and wide receiver Mack Hollins on injured reserve. NFL insider Adam Schefter posted the news on Friday, calling it “A double whammy: the Patriots placed FB Reggie Gilliam and WR Mack Hollins on injured reserve,”
That adds another layer of strain to an offense that has already had to deal with injuries since AJ Brown’s ankle injury in the season opener. The Patriots have managed to keep themselves afloat through four games, but the loss of more pieces means the group will need to reshuffle again in Week 5.
With Hollins and Gilliam out, the workload should tilt further toward Romeo Doubs, Demario Douglas and even Hunter Henry. That trio figures to be leaned on more heavily as New England tries to keep its offense moving against Las Vegas.
The Patriots’ record has been uneven so far. They beat the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Buffalo Bills, but fell to the Seattle Seahawks and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even with those setbacks, they sit second in the AFC East behind the Buffalo Bills and ahead of the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
They’re also seventh in the AFC standings, sitting ahead of the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers, while trailing the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens.
New England gets the Raiders at home on Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. ET.
After that, the Patriots will turn around for a matchup with the Chicago Bears on Oct. 22 at 8:15 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Drake Maye Faces A Bigger Test As Patriots Hope Momentum Is Real
Drake Maye has already gone through the kind of early-season adjustment every young quarterback eventually faces, with opponents getting more tape on him and making life tougher as the schedule has unfolded. He steadied himself in the latest game against the Bills, giving the Patriots a better version of the player they believe can eventually help carry them into a more consistent stretch.
The next challenge comes against a Raiders defense now prepared to study what Maye does best, and the attention around him has only grown as New England tries to sort out whether that recent momentum is a real step forward. If Maye keeps trending in the right direction, the Patriots suddenly have a path to stringing together wins, which would make the early-season growing pains feel a lot more like a necessary detour than a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Offensive Line Faces Its Biggest Test Yet With Drake Maye At Risk
The Patriots spent part of the offseason trying to stabilize the middle of their offensive line, signing guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and shifting Jared Wilson to center in hopes of giving Drake Maye a cleaner launch point. Even with those changes, the group has remained a work in progress, and the pressure on Maye has shown up in repeated sacks as New England has battled uneven play up front and a run game that has struggled to get traction.
Now the timing gets even more delicate. New England is staring at a matchup with Maxx Crosby and the Raiders, a test that will ask the line to hold up under real strain and give the Patriots enough stability to keep Maye upright while also trying to establish some balance on the ground. For a unit still sorting itself out, this is the kind of week that can reveal whether the fixes were enough or whether more shuffling is still coming. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face A Brutal Week 5 Test Their Secondary May Not Survive
Gillette Stadium will have a celebratory backdrop Sunday, with the Patriots honoring their 2001 Super Bowl team and Adam Vinatieri while they try to steady themselves against a 3-1 Raiders team that has looked capable early. It is a fitting stage for a franchise anniversary moment, but the football part of the afternoon comes with real pressure, especially for a New England team trying to keep pace in a crowded AFC race.
The challenge is made tougher by the state of the secondary, where the Patriots are already thin and facing a Raiders passing game that can put stress on the middle of the field. Brock Bowers is the obvious problem waiting for them, and with the usual answers unavailable, New England may have to get creative to survive the matchup long enough to make the tribute-day atmosphere matter for something more than nostalgia. [Read more 🡒]