Some news and notes for this morning:<\/p>\n
The New England Patriots<\/strong><\/a> released its second injury report on Thursday ahead of Sunday’s game, and it appears there’s still potentially some uncertainty with their secondary as they continue getting ready for the Eagles.<\/p>\n Jack Jones went from being listed as “limited” on Wednesday to sitting out practice altogether, with Jones’ name appearing on the “Did Not Participate” list on Thursday.\u00a0 He’s listed with a “hamstring” injury, which is going to make whatever happens today something to keep an eye on.<\/p>\n He’s a fairly key piece of New England’s defense, especially with a secondary that is going to be starting a rookie in a key role in Christian Gonzalez, along with Jonathan Jones finally seeing action after having missed most of the preseason.<\/p>\n Second-year defensive back Marcus Jones played well in spots last season, but asking him to potentially play the lion’s share of the snaps in a game like this would be tough.\u00a0 Although, the one thing that would at least be to his advantage is the fact that while he’s a little undersized at 5’8″, Philadelphia doesn’t have anyone over six feet tall for receivers other than A.J. Brown, and it’s likely that Jones wouldn’t be called on to cover him.<\/p>\n The next question would be who else may be called upon to help out, whether it’s potentially someone like Ameer Speed or Shaun Wade, or if Myles Bryant may again see some snaps on Sunday.<\/p>\n For now, while he may have gotten some good news this week, the fact Jones is apparently ailing from an injury, and that he seemingly took a step backward yesterday, remains a concern.<\/p>\n Wide receiver DeVante Parker remained limited yesterday, as did offensive linemen Cole Strange and Mike Onwenu.\u00a0 Watching Thursday night’s game and seeing what Detroit was able to do against the Chiefs when it came to getting pressure on Patrick Mahomes, was a reminder of how important protecting Mac Jones will be on Sunday.<\/p>\n The Lions forced Mahomes to move around and make plays with his feet, as well as make some off-balance throws.\u00a0 At times, Mahomes was able to convert but as the game progressed, it became tougher for him.<\/p>\n Obviously, that’s not part of Jones’ game and if both Onwenu and Strange were to be sidelined, it would certainly present a significant challenge, especially against this Eagles’ defense.<\/p>\n One positive was the fact Trent Brown’s name dropped off, so he’ll clearly be ready to go.\u00a0 But the rest of the names around him, save for David Andrews at center, seem to still possibly be question marks.<\/p>\n As for Parker, reports said he didn’t participate in any of the drills during the media portion of practice, so his status still also appears uncertain.<\/p>\n The Patriots named their 2023 captains on Friday, with one notable player joining the group heading into this season.<\/p>\n Among the names on the offensive side of the ball were Mac Jones and David Andrews.\u00a0 But joining them was Hunter Henry, who was also named as a captain, which clearly shows how much he’s grown in the past two seasons and how players in the locker room view him.<\/p>\n Also named were defensive players Deatrich Wise and Ja’Whaun Bentley, with one notable name missing on that side of the football after long-time captain Devin McCourty retired this past offseason.<\/p>\n Rounding things out was special teamer Matthew Slater, who continues that role in what could potentially be his final season with the team.<\/p>\n The club announced the names with a funny animation on social media, which you can check out here:<\/p>\n Only Captains in the Building. pic.twitter.com\/l55XwjlWsA<\/a><\/p>\n — New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nOthers Remain Limited<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Captains Named<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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