FOXBORO, Mass. — Injuries forced the New England Patriots to plumb the depths of their cornerback depth chart during Sunday’s matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
Slot cornerback Jonathan Jones suffered a ribs injury late in the first quarter and was taken to the locker room. With Joejuan Williams (healthy scratch) and Shaun Wade (concussion) both inactive, the Patriots were left with three available corners: starters J.C. Jackson and Jalen Mills and reserve Justin Bethel.
Bethel is one of the NFL’s premier punt gunners, but he rarely sees the field outside of special teams. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott targeted the 31-year-old on his first defensive snap Sunday, connecting with Amari Cooper for an 11-yard pickup on second-and-11.