The Patriots will have to open their home schedule without Carlton Davis.
Davis, who had been listed as questionable Friday with a neck injury, was downgraded to out Saturday after not taking part in practice all week. That leaves New England thinner than it already was at cornerback for Sunday’s matchup with the Steelers.
Mike Vrabel has made it clear the Patriots don’t have much depth across the roster, and that reality is front and center here. Davis sits behind Christian Gonzalez as the team’s second outside corner, and his absence forces more pressure onto the younger options behind him.
Marcus Jones normally handles the slot, but he’ll likely have to kick outside for some snaps despite his size. Behind him, Charles Woods and rookie Karon Prunty are the next corners up. Woods appears to be the player New England trusts most in that group after he absorbed much of Davis’s workload when the veteran went down in Week 1, and he looks set for another expanded role.
The Patriots also chose not to bring up a practice-squad defender after Davis was ruled out. Kindle Vildor was available, but New England is sticking with the defensive backs already on the roster.
There is at least one small break for the Patriots. Pittsburgh will be missing Michael Pittman Jr., its second receiver behind D.K.
Metcalf, after Pittman was ruled out with a foot injury. If New England planned to line Gonzalez up with Metcalf and Davis with Pittman, the personnel shift doesn’t really change the defensive approach much.
Weather could also play into things. Sunday’s game is expected to be rainy, at least in the first half, which could limit how much either team leans on the passing game.
For now, Davis’s timeline remains uncertain. It’s not clear whether he’ll need a stint on injured reserve or could get back sooner. Either way, the Patriots are heading into a tough stretch after Sunday, with the Jaguars and Bills coming up in consecutive weeks, making his recovery from the neck injury a priority.
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