After their 1-2 start to the season, the New England Patriots appear to have turned their 2026 campaign around with two straight wins over the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders, who came into the Patriots matchup at 3-1.
The Patriots will try to keep the momentum going when they host another AFC East rival, the New York Jets, who come into Gillette Stadium off a victory over the Cleveland Browns — a win that ended a three-game losing streak.
At their final practice Friday before the Jets game, the Patriots received some concerning news about a key defensive player.
Carlton Davis III missed practice again Friday, leaving Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis III’s status for Sunday’s game against the New York Jets in question, according to Patriots.com staff writer Evan Lazar.
Davis has now sat out every practice for two consecutive weeks, and New England must again build a game plan around a compromised secondary.
The injury is a neck issue. Davis hurt it in the Patriots’ Week 4 win at Buffalo on Oct. 4, finished the game, then could not take part in practice the next week and missed the Week 5 victory over Las Vegas.
The setback is not the first of the year. Davis got hurt in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and the neck issue sidelined him for the Week 2 home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers after he sat out practice all week, according to Boston.com. The team listed him as questionable on Friday of that week, then downgraded him to out on Saturday.
Davis has logged 13 solo tackles and 3 assists in 2026 with no sacks or forced fumbles. Last season he earned a 67.8 overall grade, 34th among 114 qualified cornerbacks, and broke up 10 passes, eighth at the position, according to Pro Football Focus’ player profile.
Patriots’ Carlton Davis Status for Jets Game
Practice participation offers the clearest signal of who plays on Sunday. Footballguys analyst Adam Hutchison examined every NFL team’s weekly practice report from 2017 through 2023 and found that a player’s final practice before the game predicts his availability better than any earlier session.
Betting analysts reach the same conclusion. A player who skips practice all week is “almost certainly not playing,” regardless of his final designation, according to BetFootballExpert. The same guide states that doubtful players sit out roughly 75% of the time and describes the questionable tag as a wide band, ranging from near-certain starters to genuine toss-ups.
Davis has been through this sequence once already. He missed every practice before the Steelers game, drew a questionable tag on Friday and was ruled out a day later. The Patriots release their official designations later today, and inactives arrive 90 minutes before kickoff Sunday.
Patriots’ Defensive Plan Without Davis
New England has already played a game without both starting corners. With Davis and Christian Gonzalez (shoulder) sidelined in Week 5, the Patriots played man coverage on only nine drop-backs against Las Vegas, or 29%, according to Lazar.
If Gonzalez plays Sunday, the Patriots will likely send him to shut down Garrett Wilson, the Jets’ top receiver. Gonzalez has covered Wilson on 51 routes across three meetings, allowing 8 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown.
Davis’ absence would again mean leaning on Marcus Jones, normally the slot corner, who has taken outside snaps. Charles Woods and rookie Karon Prunty round out the depth chart, though Prunty also missed Friday’s practice with a hamstring injury. The practice squad’s Kindle Vildor also stands available.
Jets quarterback Geno Smith ranks 30th among 31 qualified passers in drop-back EPA against Cover-1, at minus-0.37, Lazar reported. Smith has also held the ball longer than he would like, and safety Kevin Byard III sees an opening for New England’s front.
“It’ll give some really good opportunities to our pass rushers,” Byard said, as quoted by Patriots.com. He tied Smith’s hesitation to turnover avoidance after a 17-interception 2025 season.
Gonzalez practiced Friday, which would put New England’s top corner back across from Wilson if the shoulder holds up through Sunday.
Patriots Get More Bad News on Carlton Davis III Before Jets Game