Because of injury, Pats will rely on depth at DL, RB vs. Jets

FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots will have to rely on two of the deepest parts of their roster this weekend against the Jets, as defensive lineman Alan Branch and running backs Rex Burkhead and Mike Gillislee were all downgraded to out Friday afternoon by the team.


All three missed practice all week, so the decision to make them inactive isn’t a surprise. But it as we alluded here, it’ll mean more work for Dion Lewis and James White, the latter of whom is one of seven players listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. In addition, Branch’s health situation means more work for veteran defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois, who has played well in Branch's absence the last couple of weeks.

The good news for the Patriots? Quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski were both removed from the injury report.

Here’s the complete report:

OUT
DL Alan Branch (knee)
RB Rex Burkhead (knee)
RB Mike Gillislee (knee)

QUESTIONABLE
WR Chris Hogan (shoulder)
DL Eric Lee (ankle)
S Devin McCourty (shoulder)
WR Matthew Slater (hamstring)
LB Kyle Van Noy (calf)
RB James White (ankle)
OL LaAdrian Waddle (ankle)