Injuries have moved to the forefront for the New England Patriots. And while there has been good news, there’s also bad. Linebacker Harold Landry has been ruled out of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game against the Broncos.
Landry, who led the Patritos in sacks this season with 8.5, won’t be able to play because of a knee injury, according to a post on X by Adam Schefter.
“Patriots ruled out OLB Harold Landry for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game vs. the Broncos due to a knee injury. Patriots WR Mack Hollins (abdomen), CB Carlton Davis III (concussion), and LB Marte Mapu (hip) are questionable.”
Losing Landry is a tough blow for the Patriots. But the good news is they will face Denver’s backup quarterback, Jarrett Stidham. Had starter Bo Nix been on the field, the absence of Landry would have been magnified.
Patriots’ defense will need to step up
It’s going to be interesting to see how much Broncos coach Sean Payton will trust Stidham. Taking a piece away like Landry might open the door for a more aggressive passing approach.
That might allow the Patriots’ defense to make big plays. However, head coach Mike Vrabel said his defense needs to be on its toes, according to patspulplit.com.
“We’ll have to be prepared for the plan and the things that they’ve shown,” Vrabel said. “I’m sure there’ll be some things that they haven’t shown.”
Still, the Patriots also need to be prepared for the basics.
“I think that’s the plan,” said outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson, who is second on the team with 7.5 sacks. “We’re going to go in expecting that. And then, until shown otherwise, that’s just what they put on film. Obviously, he hasn’t played a full game throughout the regular season. Just trying to guess what his game plan is going to be is a bit all over the place. But expect this, obviously, what they’ve been working on all year. And if they show otherwise, we’ll be prepared for sure.”
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