The New England Patriots will head into Week 12 with a depleted wide receiving corps.
New England has struggled with depth at wide receiver all season, but the addition of Mohamed Sanu shored up some uncertainties. That was until he sustained an ankle injury in Week 11 that could potentially keep him sidelined for a couple of weeks. He’s heading into the Patriots’ Week 12 matchup as a game-time decision, and veteran wideout Phillip Dorsett was ruled out.
Phillip Dorsett is out, per source. #Patriots may have just 4 wideouts today: Edelman, Harry, Meyers and Slater if Sanu can't go. #Cowboys @nflnetwork
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) November 24, 2019
This leaves the Patriots with Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers and Matthew Slater. Considering the fact that Slater will primarily play special teams – the Patriots will only have three active wide receivers if Sanu can’t go. Edelman is the only player in this unit with over 200 receiving yards this season, and he’s the only one to truly have Tom Brady’s trust.
As an undrafted rookie, Meyers has put together 15 catches for 179 yards so far this season. He hasn’t played a major role in the offense, but he’s showed reliability when his number has been called. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Meyers provides a big and reliable target for Brady, but experience isn’t on his side heading into this marquee matchup.
Harry is finally healthy and ready to make an impact for the Patriots, but he doesn’t have enough talent around to free him up. He’ll get more attention from the Cowboys’ secondary, and it’ll be a test to see if his first-round talent can translate to a big game. In Harry’s NFL debut last week, he was able to pull in three catches for 18 yards.
Not only will the Patriots battle a lack of depth, they’ll also contend against the weather conditions. The game will be sloppy and full of rain, so it’ll be that much more difficult for these young receivers.
The #Patriots issues are wide receiver continue, and a marquee matchup that might not live up the billing because of Mother Nature @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/E4JO0a1DZH
— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) November 24, 2019
The Patriots will likely rely on the rushing attack in these conditions, while hoping for some big plays from their young guys.
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