FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots are without starter Kyle Van Noy (calf) and core special-teams player Trevor Reilly (healthy scratch), leaving them thin at linebacker for Sunday's home game against the Buffalo Bills.
Van Noy, who has been the Patriots' top linebacker in terms of playing time, will miss his third straight game. He has been making progress in his recovery.
Meanwhile, Reilly plays on the Patriots' four core units -- kickoff return, kickoff coverage, punt return, punt coverage -- and his deactivation was unexpected. The Patriots will likely turn to multiple players to fill his void.