The New England Patriots are ramping up work for the Pittsburgh Steelers game, but their defensive backfield is already looking a little thin, especially after our Seahawks just put them through the wringer. Starting cornerback Carlton Davis III has missed a second straight practice with a neck issue. The dude played a whopping 49 out of 50 defensive snaps against our boys in the season opener, a Super Bowl LX rematch, even after he briefly left the first quarter. He made a tackle on running back Jadarian Price for no gain, but looks like that battle at Lumen Field might have caught up to him.
Patriots’ Early Season Woes Hit Their Secondary Hard
Davis staying sidelined for back-to-back practices is a big deal. He was out there trying to cover our guys opposite Christian Gonzalez, and now he’s a question mark. The Patriots’ depth chart at corner isn’t exactly stacked either, with Charles Woods, captain Marcus Jones, and rookies Karon Prunty and Channing Canada on the active roster. Kindle Vildor’s chilling on the practice squad. Add to that rookie offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover also still out with a knee issue, and you’ve got some real headaches for their home opener. You gotta wonder if the physical game our Seahawks played against them is a factor here, right?
Who Else Is Nursing Some Knocks Before Sunday?
It’s not just Davis and Crownover, either. Center Ben Brown, who hasn’t seen the field since the preseason opener and was ruled out last week with a knee injury, is still limited in practice. He’s an interior backup who’s started 14 games since 2024, so they’re missing some veteran depth up front. Then there’s starting outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones, who got New England’s first sack of September but is still dealing with a foot ailment and limited participation. He played 84 percent of defensive downs, so his impact is huge.
On the brighter side for them, running back TreVeyon Henderson, a 2025 PFWA All-Rookie selection, is back to full participation after an ankle injury kept him out since late August. Remember, he missed that 13-10 loss to our Hawks at Lumen Field. Inside linebacker and team captain Robert Spillane is also fully practicing after a knee issue, which is good news for their run defense. As for the Steelers, their report has wideout Michael Pittman Jr. (foot) and tackle Troy Fautanu (ankle) on it, plus tight end Darnell Washington (personal) and defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (rest) also not participating.
The Patriots will face the Steelers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium. After taking an early season L to our beloved Seahawks, they’ll be desperate to turn things around. But with key guys banged up, especially in their secondary, it’s not gonna be easy. Will Davis be back? Will those other limited guys be at full strength? We’ll be watching to see how this plays out for them after our Hawks made their mark!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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