Getty The Patriots are going to be short-handed at receiver in Week 12.
The New England Patriots are going to be severely short-handed at wide receiver this week.
As the Patriots prepare for a big-time matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12, they’ll likely have to do so without Phillip Dorsett. That would be because the veteran receiver hasn’t been cleared for full football activities due to a concussion — which means he will likely sit during Sunday’s game versus the Cowboys.
As Mike Reiss of ESPN mentions, Mohamed Sanu is also sidelined due to an ankle injury. However, as Andrew Callahan of The Boston Herald reports, the injury isn’t considered severe and Sanu is expected to play in Week 13 against the Houston Texans.
“Patriots wide receiver Mohamed Sanu is not expected to play in Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, a source told the Herald.
Sanu suffered a high ankle sprain during the Pats’ win at Philadelphia last weekend. It is not considered severe. Sanu could return next week when the team travels to Houston.
After missing the Patriots’ first two practices this week, the veteran wideout was limited Friday and listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report.”
With Dorsett and Sanu likely out on Sunday, Tom Brady — who is questionable to play due to an elbow injury — will be forced to rely on just three wide outs in Julian Edelman — listed as questionable, but expected to play — N’Keal Henry and Jakobi Meyers.
In other words, it would be an absolute surprise to see the Patriots bounce out of their offensive funk without two of their top wide receivers.
We’ll keep you updated regarding Dorsett’s official status for the game leading into Sunday.
Will Tom Brady Play Versus Cowboys?
While the Antonio Brown rumors have certainly dominated headlines for the Patriots this week, a new storyline — Tom Brady being listed as questionable for Week 12 — popped up on Friday.
The 42-year-old quarterback is apparently dinged up with an elbow injury and will be re-evaluated heading into Sunday’s game versus the Cowboys. With that said, is there really any chance the veteran quarterback misses his first start since the 2008 season?
As Bill Speros of The Boston Herald indicates, there’s no way Brady misses the marquee matchup versus the Cowboys. Furthermore, Speros points towards how Brady was often listed on the injury report in the past as a running gag — and always played.
“There was a time when Brady’s presence on the weekly injury report was chiseled in granite. And it was the longest running gag in the NFL. He was listed as “probable — right shoulder” every week from the start of the 2005 season until the fateful season-opener in 2008. That torn ACL ended a run of 127 consecutive regular-season and playoff games.”
Considering the Patriots will already be without two of their top wide outs and the fact that New England holds just a one-game advantage over the Baltimore Ravens for the top seed in the AFC, expect Brady to push through and play on Sunday.
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