Week 14 Patriots vs Browns Injury News & Updates

[jmt57]

Some injury news is starting to filter in.

Tom Curran:
Dennard, Talib, Hooman and Thompkins out at practice. No Dobson. No Spikes.

Michael Whitmer:
3 Patriots not spotted at practice: LB Brandon Spikes, OL Marcus Cannon, WR Aaron Dobson. TE Michael Hoomanawanui is here. Sweats/shells.

Erik Scalavino:
TE Hoomanawanui (l.knee) back at practice; OL Cannon (r.ankle), LB Spikes (l.knee), rookie WR Dobson (foot) absent.

Christopher Price:
Dobson, Spikes and Cannon not at start of Patriots practice. Sweats and shells on lower fields behind Gillette.

Jeff Howe:
Spikes (knee), Dobson (foot) and Cannon (ankle) absent from practice. Thompkins (hip) is here but spent a few minutes on bike, stretching.

Nick Underhill:
Cannon, Spikes, Dobson are not at practice. Hooman back. KT moving slow. Had to stop and get on bike at one point.

Field Yates:
Patriots LB Brandon Spikes, WR Aaron Dobson & OT Marcus Cannon not spotted at start of practice. TE Michael Hoomanawanui (knee) returns.

Jeff Howe:
Thompkins didn't participate in the ball control drill at the start of positional work. Just stood to side clutching a ball.

Michael Whitmer:
Another ball security drill set up right in front of the media. Ridley once again first through the line.

Mike Reiss:
TE Michael Hoomanawanui (knee), who has been sidelined since Nov. 18 game at Carolina, returns to practice for 1st time

Nick Underhill:
Spikes didn’t quite look right against the Texans, so not too surprising that he wasn’t seen at practice this week.




As for Cleveland, there is this:

Field Yates:
Rob Chudzinski says on conference call that QB's Jason Campbell and Brandon Weeden have been cleared for activity, but not practice.

 

[PatsFan2]

With Dopson and Thompkins probably being out this week. Are we going to see them unleash the Speed of Josh Boyce deep? Seems like Boyce has gotten alot of reps in recent weeks he should be more comfortable in the Offense by now.

 

[PatsDeb]

Yikes that's a lot of bodies. Was Talib there or not? One guy says "out" the others are mum.

 

[dales804]

Yikes that's a lot of bodies. Was Talib there or not? One guy says "out" the others are mum.

From what I read above, all say Talib was present.

 

[Sicilian]

Confusing wording on the first tweet. When he says they're "out at practice" I think he means they're out practicing.

Too bad on Dobson and Thompkins, they've been settling in nicely, hate to see that momentum broken up. Otherwise good news with Dennard, he's the most important missing piece right now (who has a chance to return of course).

 

[Ozymandias]

If KT and AD can't go this week, we'll probably see a lot more 2-TE sets if Hoomanawanui is good to go and more emphasis on the run.

I thought Spikes' knee definitely affected his play to an extent last week. The Browns ground game is pretty mediocre. I think if there's a game he could use to take a week off to get his knee right this might be it. But, then again, with the way the Patriots have been playing run defense, there might not any room for error.

 

[PatsDeb]

Thanks. I misread Curran's tweet on Talib.

 

[jmt57]

Some short columns rather than just tweets are coming in now.


It Is What It Is » Patriots practice Wednesday: Brandon Spikes, Aaron Dobson and Marcus Cannon absent

On the bright side, cornerback Alfonzo Dennard and Aqib Talib were both on hand and participating in practice. Dennard missed practice last Thursday and has missed two of the last three games, including Sunday’s win in Houston.​

Spikes not spotted at practice - New England Patriots Blog - espnBoston

Wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, who was banged up on Sunday with a hip injury, took just limited reps during a ball-security drill and appears to still be recovering.

Also during that drill, running backs Stevan Ridley, LeGarrette Blount and Shane Vereen used noticeably worn-down (and possibly wet) footballs. Ridley was inactive in Week 13 after fumbling in three straight games.​

Brandon Spikes misses practice, Aaron Dobson's sprained foot still needs rest | The Blitz with Jeff Howe & Karen Guregian | Boston Herald

Wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins was extremely limited today after injuring his hip against the Texans. Thompkins was jogging with his teammates during the stretching session of the media portion, but he stopped midway through to stretch the hip and ride the stationary bike. He then watched the ball-control drill during the start of positional work, so the team is being careful with the hip.​

New England Patriots practice report: Aaron Dobson, Brandon Spikes missing from Wednesday's session | masslive.com

It appears Brandon Spikes has taken on a bigger role among the walking wounded.

The New England Patriots linebacker was among a group of players, which includes wide receiver Aaron Dobson (foot) and offensive lineman Macrus Cannon (ankle), who were not spotted during the portion of practice that is open to the media.

Spikes has been fighting a knee injury and appeared to be hampered by it during Sunday’s 34-31 win over the Houston Texans. Dobson and Cannon did not participate in the game.

Dobson is fighting a sprained foot. It has not yet been determined if he will be able to play this week against the Cleveland Browns.​

Hooman returns to practice; three others absent | Patriots Football Weekly

The Patriots got some good news today when they returned to practice, as tight end Michael Hoomanawanui (left knee, injured at Carolina) suited up for the first time since getting hurt in the Monday nighter at Charlotte.

Hooman was clearly wearing some extra protection around his left knee underneath his full-length sweatpants. He participated in the opening drill of practice, after stretching period, but was not able to move around completely. For instance, when the backs, receivers, and tight ends ran through a bag drill, he followed them, but when the group was made to hop through the bags, he couldn’t. He continued to run through the bags very gently.

Back to that opening drill for a moment. The skill position offensive players were running over bags while toting a football, and the assistant coaches and equipment staff were trying to knock the ball loose – gauntlet-style – by swiping at the ball with their arms cushioned by padding. It was noteworthy that running back Stevan Ridley was leading the way. He was inactive at Houston, presumably because he’s lost several fumbles this season.​

 

[Foxypats]

Is Thompkins definitely out this week? Some one else will have to step up if both he and Dobson can't go.

 

[Ozymandias]

Is Thompkins definitely out this week? Some one else will have to step up if both he and Dobson can't go.

I wouldn't say it's definite that he's out. He's at practe, so that's good news on that forefront.

If I had to guess I'd say he'd be extremely limited this week at practice, and questionable to suit up. 40-50% or so.

 

[patchick]

OK, so to summarize, the Patriots have no wideouts or cornerbacks, and the Browns have no quarterbacks?

And they want to LENGTHEN the NFL season?

:nooo:

 

[SVN]

Browns have the same DC from Arizona last yr who came in and beat and then went on to talk a lot about it. Hopefully we play him better this time.

 

[dales804]

OK, so to summarize, the Patriots have no wideouts or cornerbacks, and the Browns have no quarterbacks?

And they want to LENGTHEN the NFL season?

:nooo:

But they would scrap two preseason games, too! You know, the games that get players really ready for the season so they can get used to game speed since padded practices are extremely limited now? Player safety is paramount! :confused3:

 

[JMC00]

OK, so to summarize, the Patriots have no wideouts or cornerbacks, and the Browns have no quarterbacks?

And they want to LENGTHEN the NFL season?

:nooo:

All the cornerbacks on the team practiced.

 

[SVN]

Mike Reiss ‏@MikeReiss 29s
Jerome Boger has been assigned to referee Sunday's game between the Patriots and Browns. Worked Patriots-Jets on Oct. 20.

 

[QB12]

^^ better make sure we win by couple TD's to prevent that a-hole from stealing another W from us.

 

[Joker]

He's here for a reason...definitely Goodell's catspaw. The question is...WHY?

is it to make up for that travesty in NJ?

or to further insure Peytie gets a clear road to the Super bowl with home field advantage?

The Pats are the only AFC team that could possibly threaten Precious Peytie Pooch's need for home field.

 

[goheels22002]

Mike Reiss ‏@MikeReiss 29s
Jerome Boger has been assigned to referee Sunday's game between the Patriots and Browns. Worked Patriots-Jets on Oct. 20.

Message to the Patriots: Do not let this game come down to the last play, or the Boger-man will make sure you lose. Capisce?

 

[jmt57]

More updates from late Wednesday:

It Is What It Is » Patriots Wednesday injury report: Brandon Spikes (non-injury), Aaron Dobson (foot) DNP

As it turns out, Brandon Spikes was not at practice on Wednesday due to a non-injury matter. The team does not specify on its official injury report if it was simply a “maintenance” day for additional rest or some other issue. Spikes has been on the injury report for the last several weeks with a knee issue but that was not the case on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, after missing his first game Sunday since the opener in Buffalo, rookie receiver Aaron Dobson was again held out due to a foot injury apparently suffered in the 34-31 win over the Broncos on Nov. 24. He played just 36 of 90 offensive snaps against Denver and did not practice last week before being held out against Houston.

Michael Hoomanawanui returned for the first time since his knee injury against Carolina on Nov. 18, leading to the release of back-up tight end D.J. Williams on Wednesday afternoon.

Rob Gronkowski was again listed as limited with back, forearm and hamstring issues but his ankle was not listed on the official report despite tweaking it on Sunday in Houston.​

New England Patriots injury report: Brandon Spikes' absence from practice not due to injury | masslive.com

Brandon Spikes has been battling a knee injury in recent weeks, but his absence from Wednesday’s practice was not due to injury.

Wide receiver Aaron Dobson (foot) and Marcus Cannon (ankle) were the only other players who did not participate in the session.

As anticipated, Kenbrell Thompkins, who injured his hip during Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, was limited.​

Patriots - Browns Injury Report

Did Not Participate
Player	  Position	Injury
Marcus Cannon	OT	Ankle
Aaron Dobson	WR	Foot
Brandon Spikes	LB	Not Injury Related
 
Limited Participation
Player	  Position	Injury
Kyle Arrington	CB	Groin
Marquice Cole	CB	Shin
Alfonzo Dennard	CB	Knee
Steve Gregory	S	Finger
Rob Gronkowski	TE	Back/Forearm/Hamstring
Hoomanawanui	TE	Knee
Will Svitek	OT	Ankle
Aqib Talib	CB	Hip
K Thompkins	WR	Hip
 
Full Participation
Player	  Position	Injury
Danny Amendola	WR	Groin
Tom Brady	QB	Right Shoulder
Matthew Slater	WR	Wrist
Shane Vereen	RB	Wrist

Browns starting DE Desmond Bryant sidelined for rest of season, will undergo heart procedure - Cleveland Browns - Ohio

The Browns placed starting right defensive end Desmond Bryant on the reserve/non-football illness list with an irregular heartbeat, meaning his season is finished, the team announced today.

Bryant will undergo “a minor heart procedure” this week to correct the issue, Browns spokesman Zak Gilbert said. Bryant is expected to make a full recovery and is expected to be able to resume his career, Gilbert said.

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound Bryant reported the symptoms Monday, a day after he played 47-of-74 snaps and finished a 32-28 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gilbert said. Bryant is not in the hospital and is feeling fine, Gilbert said.

Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract with the Browns in March after spending the previous four seasons with the Oakland Raiders, has left games with heart problems in each of the past two seasons.

Bryant exited the Browns’ win over the Buffalo Bills early in the third quarter Oct. 3 because he was experiencing an accelerated heartbeat and shortness of breath. Bryant was taken to the Cleveland Clinic during the game and hospitalized overnight before being released the next day. He also left the Raiders’ game Nov. 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with similar symptoms. In both cases, he played the following week.

Bryant started all 12 games this season and compiled 45 tackles, including 3 1/2 sacks.

The Browns promoted wide receiver Brian Tyms to the active roster from the practice squad, filling the roster spot vacated by Bryant.​

Wednesday's injury report for Browns, Patriots - Cleveland Browns - Ohio

Did not participate: Quarterback Jason Campbell (concussion) and quarterback Brandon Weeden (concussion, knee).

Limited participation: inside linebacker Tank Carder (shoulder), inside linebacker Craig Robertson (knee) and tight end MarQueis Gray (hamstring).

Full participation: Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz (toe), running back Willis McGahee (knee), punter Spencer Lanning (left knee) and outside linebacker Paul Kruger (finger).​

 

[jmt57]

Early Thursday report from Field Yates:

LB Brandon Spikes returns to practice - New England Patriots Blog - espnBoston

Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes returned to practice on Thursday after missing Wednesday's practice due to a non-injury related situation. The starting linebacker, who has also been dealing with a knee injury in recent weeks, leads the team with 74 tackles.

Wide receiver Aaron Dobson (foot) and offensive tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle) were once again absent on Thursday. Each left the team's Week 12 game against the Broncos due to injury and has not practiced since that time.

Wide receiver Austin Collie, who was re-signed this morning, was on the field wearing No. 10.​