The New England Patriots are staring down a defining moment as they head into Week 16-and the timing couldn’t be more unforgiving. With a playoff berth hanging in the balance, they’re preparing to face a surging Baltimore Ravens team while battling a wave of injuries that’s hit their defense hard.
At the center of the concern is cornerback Carlton Davis, who missed practice with a hip injury. And he’s far from alone.
The latest injury report reads more like a red flag than a roster update. Davis, Christian Elliss, Marcus Jones, Harold Landry, and Robert Spillane were all non-participants.
Christian Barmore was limited. That’s a lot of key names for a unit that’s about to try and contain Lamar Jackson.
And while Jackson himself missed practice, Baltimore’s offense is rounding into form at just the wrong time for New England.
Let’s be honest-this is not the defense you want heading into a matchup with one of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks. The Patriots have struggled to stop the run, haven’t consistently generated pressure, and red zone stops have been far too rare.
That’s not a formula that works against a Ravens offense that just steamrolled the Bengals and is playing with a sense of urgency. Baltimore’s energy is real, and it’s showing up in the way they practice, the way they talk, and most importantly, the way they play.
For the Patriots, the stakes are crystal clear. Win or tie, and they’re in.
Get some help from around the league, and they might sneak through. But in a game like this, you don’t want to leave anything to chance.
You want to control your own fate. And that means showing up, short-handed or not, and finding a way to rise.
This is what December football is all about-high-pressure games where every snap matters and every mistake gets magnified. The Patriots have been here before.
They know what it takes. But this time, they’re doing it with a defense that’s banged up and a playoff spot that’s still just out of reach.
The question now is simple: Can this team dig deep, patch the holes, and find a way to slow down a Ravens squad that’s peaking at the right time? The answer will come on Sunday. And it might just define the Patriots’ season.