New England Patriots rookie Ryan Allen talks with the media during rookie minicamp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
New England Patriots rookie punter Ryan Allen is listed questionable for today’s game against the Denver Broncos, and he was able to practice everyday on a limited basis despite suffering a shoulder injury just last week against the Indianapolis Colts. Star kicker Stephen Gostkowski came right in and punted for Allen, and the Patriots didn’t miss a beat thanks to Gostkowski’s incredibly strong leg and all the times he spent messing around punting the ball in practice. He nailed a 53-yard punt, leaving most of us to wonder if there’s anything he can’t do (he boots touchbacks out of the end zone, he nails clutch kicks despite the old narrative, he never misses field goals less than 40 yards, he can nail kicks longer than 50 with relative ease, and now he can punt).
Anyway, the Patriots haven’t signed a punter since Allen’s injury, which was the first indication that he would be good-to-go against the Broncos. And hey, when you have a kicker like Gostkowski who can punt the ball over 50 yards you aren’t in bad shape.
The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the Patriots expect Allen to play in today’s game against the Broncos, and it’s an unsurprising report given that the expectation has been that Allen will play all along. Even as a rookie, the two-time Ray Guy winner has already asserted himself as one of the most powerful punters in the league, and he has an All-Pro future ahead of him. Zoltan who?