The New England Patriots returned to the practice fields without eight on Wednesday.
Starting linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins, who have 105 tackles, nine sacks, six turnovers and a pair of touchdowns between them this season, were sent home due to illness. As were defensive backs Stephon Gilmore, Joejuan Williams and Patrick Chung.
And that’d just be one side of the ball on a quarantined Thanksgiving eve.
Here’s the initial prognosis for Sunday’s 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff at NRG Stadium against the AFC South-leading Houston Texans.
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
- Patriots: TE Ryan Izzo (illness), OT Isaiah Wynn (illness), G Jermaine Elumunor (illness), LB Dont’a Hightower (illness), LB Jamie Collins (illness), CB Stephon Gilmore (illness), CB Joejuan Williams (illness), S Patrick Chung (illness/heel/chest)
- Texans: DT Carlos Watkins (hamstring)
Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon played through an illness last weekend versus the Dallas Cowboys that left him questionable, missing from warm-ups and spelled out for the end of the first half.