Josh Boyce, Nate Solder Injury Updates
New England Patriots tackle Nate Solder (77) lines up against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter of the AFC championship game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots wide receivers Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson have been out the past two weeks with hip and foot injuries respectively, so fellow rookie wideout Josh Boyce started at the “X” receiver position for the Patriots. Boyce is a fast wideout who was praised for his polish coming out of TCU, but he was significantly slower to catch on than expected. The injuries to Thompkins and Dobson allowed Boyce to crack the starting lineup, and he looked promising with seven catches for 91 yards in both games.
However, Boyce also picked up an ankle injury against the Miami Dolphins last week, and he looks very unlikely to play this week. ESPN Boston’s Field Yates reports that Boyce is not practicing today, but the Patriots will be fine without him since Thompkins and Dobson will almost certainly return this week against the Baltimore Ravens. It was great watching Boyce play well, and the three rookie wideouts are as promising as they looked at points during training camp.
The biggest current injury for the New England Patriots is the concussion that Nate Solder suffered, and it’s the second concussion for the star left tackle in the same amount of weeks. The great news is that Solder is back on the practice field today, which means that he will be playing against the Ravens elite pass rushing duo of Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil. One of the best tackles in the game, the Patriots absolutely cannot afford Solder to miss this week’s game, because they would be in huge trouble on the offensive line without him. Tom Brady has already had to deal with enough injuries to his pass-catchers, and the last thing in the world he could afford to have happen (he already has to do too much) is Solder being out against the Ravens. There are plenty of concerns regarding Solder’s health due to back-to-back concussions, but he will most likely play.