Patriots rule out Marcus Jones for Week 16 vs. Bills
FOXBORO -- The New England Patriots will not have Marcus Jones for Sunday's AFC East matchup against the Bills. New England's slot corner and punt returner has been ruled out for the tilt because of a hip injury.
The Patriots practiced inside a snowy Gillette Stadium on Friday as they geared up for Sunday's showdown in Buffalo, but Jones missed his third straight session of the week. He was one of two players ruled out for Sunday's game, with running back JaMycal Hasty also set to miss the contest with an ankle injury.
Not having Jones creates two holes for New England on Sunday. He has the third-most snaps among Patriots cornerbacks this season, spending most of his time defending the slot. The Pats will now need veteran Jonathan Jones, Alex Austin, or even Isaiah Bolden or rookie Marcellas Dial Jr. to fill that void, while Christian Gonzalez locks down Buffalo's top option on the outside.
The Patriots will also have to find a new primary punt returner, a role Jones has thrived in over his three NFL seasons. He's averaged 14.8 yards per punt return this season, which currently ranks second in the NFL.
New England won't have that on Sunday, and could call upon DeMario Douglas to handle those duties. Douglas hasn't returned a punt this season, but he returned 11 punts for 56 yards last season as a rookie. Another possible option is newly signed practice squad receiver Alex Erickson, who has returned 162 punts over his eight NFL seasons. But Erickson hasn't returned a punt since the 2022 season when he was with the Carolina Panthers.
Five Patriots listed as questionable vs. Bills
The New England secondary could be really shorthanded on Sunday, as both Kyle Dugger (ankle/illness) and Jabrill Peppers (hamstring) are questionable for the game. Dugger was limited Thursday and Friday after not practicing on Wednesday, while Peppers was added to the injury report Friday after being a limited participant in the final practice of the week.
Defensive end Keion White was also a late add to the injury report, limited Friday with a groin injury.
Along the offensive line, Cole Strange (knee) and Caedan Wallace (ankle) are both questionable for the Patriots after being limited in practice all week. Strange was added to the active roster last week but was inactive against the Cardinals, and head coach Jerod Mayo didn't sound optimistic that the offensive lineman would make his season debut when talking with reporters on Friday.
"I don't want to say I'm sure, but hopefully, we get to see him at some point," Mayo said of Strange.
Bills list seven players as questionable
Buffalo did not rule out any players for Sunday, but seven players are questionable for the game:
CB Rasul Douglas, Knee
S Damar Hamlin, Rib
LB Matt Milano, Biceps/Groin
S Taylor Rapp, Neck
WR Curtis Samuel, Rib
LB Baylon Spector, Calf
LB Dorian Williams, Elbow
Receiver Amani Toomer, who dealt with a wrist injury last weekend against Detroit, appears to be good to go Sunday after he was a full participant in all three practices this week.
Tune in to Sunday's Patriots-Bills game on WBZ-TV, the flagship station of the New England Patriots. Coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay (which you can also stream on CBS News Boston), kickoff is scheduled for 4:25 p.m., and after the game switch over to TV38 for full reaction and analysis on Patriots 5th Quarter!
