The New England Patriots got some bad news on both sides of the ball on Saturday. Cornerback Jonathan Jones and wideout Nelson Agholor have both been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.
Jones has been one of the team’s best defenders, and his absence could obviously cause issues in the defensive backfield.
The team has been fortunate to see the immediate impact that rookie corner Jack Jones is having on the field, and they’ll be hopeful that his presence, combined with Jalen Mills (questionable)—and maybe even some Marcus Jones—can help keep the unit afloat.
Perhaps Cleveland being such a run-heavy team will help the Patriots absorb some of the blow from losing Jones this week.
WR Nelson Agholor and DB Jonathan Jones have been downgraded to out for #NEvsCLE.
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 15, 2022
As for Agholor, his absence will likely mean more work for rookie receiver Tyquan Thornton, who returned last week from a collarbone injury.
Thornton only caught two passes for seven yards in his regular season debut against the Detroit Lions, but he managed to beat coverage pretty consistently.
We’ll see if the Patriots can get him going in a week where the Browns will be without two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward and professional game-wrecker Jadeveon Clowney.
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