With no other major surprises, the Patriots game day inactives are as follows: RB Kevin Harris, RB J.J. Taylor, DB Joshuah Bledsoe, DL Sam Roberts, and CB Shaun Wade.
Starting with the offensive line, the Patriots struggled without their leader in the middle in their last two games. Without Andrews, the Pats allowed a pressure rate of 39.3 and averaged just 3.6 yards per rush, while those numbers improved to a 28.2% pressure rate and 4.7 yards per rush with Andrews in the lineup.
The bigger question with Andrews’s return is the configuration of the Pats five starters along the offensive line. The Patriots rolled with third-year OT Yodny Cajuste at right tackle and rookie Cole Strange at left guard to start the game in Week 9, but Isaiah Wynn replaced Strange. With a healthy group up front, our best guess at the starting five is LT Trent Brown, LG Cole Strange, C David Andrews, RG Mike Onwenu, and RT Yodny Cajuste.
Although that’s the likely starting five, the Pats experimented with Wynn back at left tackle at practice this week and could flip the tackles back to their 2021 positions. We’ll also see how long a leash Strange has at left guard after he was pulled in back-to-back games for Wynn.
At wide receiver, Parker’s return gives the Patriots offense more flexibility against a stingy Jets pass defense. Parker, a traditional X receiver, can hold down that role on the backside of the formation, giving rookie speedster Tyquan Thornton more freedom to move around. The zone-heavy Jets defense plays sides rather than traveling with receivers, so Parker’s presence could also provide the Pats options to stay away from first-year star cornerback Sauce Gardner.
In the backfield, Harris’s return will hopefully lighten the load on second-year standout Rhamondre Stevenson. Stevenson has played 75% of the offensive snaps in two games without Harris this season as New England’s primary running back. Stevenson will still have a significant role in the offense, but Harris can…
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