FOXBOROUGH - Shortly before the Patriots headed off to Chicago, and fresh off the practice field, Mike Vrabel met with the media. He officially ruled out a handful of players, including starting guards Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) and Ben Brown (knee), as well as cornerback Carlton Davis (neck). That brings Davis to four missed games after he bucked his career trend and didn’t miss a single one last season.
Vrabel wouldn’t say whether the Pats would activate tackle Marcus Bryant from IR, but did commit to Matt Pryor and Walter Rouse as the starting guards. Those two finished Sunday’s win over the Jets. Morgan Moses (officially listed as questionable) also appears to be a go, despite having his foot in a walking boot during the postgame.
HANDS FULL
Another week, another absurdly talented tight end that the Patriots will have to defend. Colston Loveland is coming off his best game of the year, catching 6 of 7 targets for 65 yards and his first touchdown.
It certainly helped Loveland that the Bears got starting quarterback Caleb Williams back after missing time with a hamstring injury. But the reality is, the Bears just hadn’t quite activated the second-year pro to the level they did late last year, when Loveland went off (28 catches for 378 yards over his final four games, including two in the playoffs). That, according to the Pats, is who they have to contend with, not the player who was being fed sporadically before.
“He's not just a receiver,” Vrabel said. “He's done a nice job and he's a good football player. I like his energy, I like his attitude, his demeanor. He's a willing blocker. They use him on third down, they use him on option routes, they use him down the field. So, he's extremely talented, but also is willing to go in there and block too.”
That is where Loveland is unlike other