The New England Patriots might be catching a break on Sunday. Per the latest injury report, the Raiders’ electrifying rookie receiver Henry Ruggs III will miss the game due to multiple injuries.
Ruggs Has Been Battling Injury Through First Two Weeks
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Raiders get bad news, but it's good for the Patriots. Per NFL.com, speedy rookie Henry Ruggs is out for the Week 3 game. Las Vegas' exciting young receiver will not suit up this weekend. Henry Ruggs III is out with knee and hamstring injuries, according to the team's Week 3 injury report. Tackle Trent Brown (calf) will not be available to face his former team, while Nick Kwiatkoski (pectoral) is also out for the Raiders' meeting with the Patriots. Second-year running back Josh Jacobs (hip), tight end Darren Waller (knee), guard Denzelle Good (thumb/illness) and tackle Sam Young (groin) are questionable for Sunday's affair. Las Vegas selected Ruggs in the first round of April's draft to fill a dire need, taking the deep-threat receiver with the 12th-overall pick. Ruggs caught three passes for 55 yards in Week 1, but was limited to just one catch for four yards in his second professional game. The rookie's status downgraded as the practice week progressed, from a full participant in Wednesday's session to limited Thursday and a non-participant Friday. Jacobs, meanwhile, improved from a non-participant Wednesday and Thursday to a limited participant Friday. Waller starred on the Monday night stage in Week 2, catching 12 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' win over the New Orleans Saints. He was limited in Friday's practice. Brown moved west in the 2019 offseason, signing a four-year, $66 million deal to join the Raiders after beginning his career in San Francisco before spending a lone campaign in New England. Kwiatkoski followed suit in the 2020 offseason, joining the Raiders after four seasons in Chicago. #Patriots #NewEnglandPatriots #CamNewton #StephonGilmore #DevinMcCourty #JasonMcCourty #PatrickChung #BrandonBolden #LawrenceGuy #ChaseWinovich #JoshUche #KyleDugger #JoeThuney #JamesHarris #LamarMiller #JarrettStidham #AdamButler #JJTaylor #DevinAsiasi #DaltonKeene #JulianEdelman #NKealHarry #MohamedSanu #DavidAndrews #BillBelichick #RobertKraft #AFCEast #AFC #NFL
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Ruggs originally injured himself in Week 1, but he gutted it out to play in the Raiders’ huge Week 2 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. However, he had only one reception for four yards.
After a strong college career at Alabama, Ruggs’ 4.2 speed in the 40-yard-dash caught everyone’s eye at the NFL Combine, and the early returns suggest he might be able to translate his athletic gifts into production on the field.
Because the Raiders’ offense also boasts the dangerous tight end Darren Waller, who will likely draw Stephon Gilmore, the Patriots might have struggled to find someone capable of checking Ruggs.
Because of the rookie’s injuries, the Patriots won’t have to deal with that potential headache.
The Patriots Have Their Own Injury Concerns
New England won’t be at full strength for Week 3 themselves. Running back James White is still out after the death of his father, and starting center David Andrews is now out after having surgery to repair a hand injury.
Hjalte Froholdt is likely to get the start in Andrews’ absence, and it will be interesting to watch to see if the transfers from the second-year-pro to Cam Newton will be so smooth.
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Brian Mazique is a veteran sports contributor who covered the NFL, NBA and UFC for Heavy.com from 2020 to 2023, with a focus on the New England Patriots and Chicago Bulls. His work has been featured at Forbes, Bleacher Report and his YouTube channel "Unique Mazique." More about Brian Mazique
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