The Patriots ruled out six players for their Week 12 game in Miami.
When Christian Gonzalez popped up as questionable on Friday’s injury report, the alarm bells started to go off all over New England. The status of the Patriots’ star cornerback being unclear heading into matchup with a potent Miami Dolphins offense was a legitimate cause for concern.
However, it turns out his hip ailment is not severe enough to keep him out of the contest. The second-year defensive back has received the green light, and is not listed among the six players named as inactives for Week 12.
The same is true for another core defender who was listed as questionable on Friday: defensive tackle Christian Barmore, officially labeled questionable for a non-injury related issue, will also appear in Sunday’s game. There are questions about the exposure he will get as he works his way back from a four-month absence due to blood clots, but the mere fact that he is ready to play is a positive.
Another piece of good news comes in the form of Marte Mapu. After missing last week’s game due to a nagging neck issue, the sophomore safety will be back on the field as well against the Dolphins.
The Patriots’ list of inactives, meanwhile, looks as follows:
Patriots inactives
- ED Titus Leo
- QB Joe Milton III (emergency QB)
- WR K.J. Osborn
- OL Tyrese Robinson
- DT Jaquelin Roy
- DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
New England ruled out only one player ahead of its trip to Miami: defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy will miss a second straight game after suffering a neck injury in Week 10. He was joined on the inactives list by five other players, including fellow defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. The team captain will also miss his second straight game after he hurt his foot late against the Chicago Bears.
The other four inactives, on the other hand, are all healthy scratches. This also means that eight of the Patriots’ nine questionables will play versus the Dolphins.
Besides the aforementioned Gonzalez, Barmore and Mapu, New England will have offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (shoulder), defensive lineman Keion White (knee), linebackers Anfernee Jennings (knee) and Sione Takitaki (knee), and safety Kyle Dugger (ankle) available.
Offensive lineman Cole Strange will also not appear in Sunday’s game. The former first-round draft pick, who has been focusing on the center position after his return to practice, remains on the physically unable to perform list (which is why he does not have to be officially ruled out). Strange had suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee last December.
Dolphins inactives
- CB Ethan Bonner
- WR D’Wayne Eskridge
- CB Kendall Fuller
- ED Mohamed Kamara
- OL Andrew Meyer
- TE Jack Stoll
- RB Jeff Wilson Jr.
Like the Patriots, Miami headed into the weekend with one player ruled out: starting cornerback Kendall Fuller will miss the contest due to a concussion. The team’s other six inactives include no surprises.
Kickoff between the Patriots and Dolphins at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET. New England is entering the game as 7.5-point underdogs, according to the latest odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook.