FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As New England’s Divisional Round matchup against the Houston Texans approaches, the health status of the Patriots appears to be trending up.
Gonzalez was seen wearing a red ‘non-contact’ practice jersey on Wednesday. A positive sign in itself, but as the Pats took to the practice field on Thursday, there was ‘Gonzo,’ spotted wearing his blue practice jersey.
This means that he is passing several of the five NFL concussion protocol phases a player goes through before being eligible to play again.
The Pats had full attendance at Thursday’s practice, with Quarterback Drake Maye leading the helm.
Last week’s wildcard matchup, Maye went 17-29 for 268 passing yards with a touchdown and a pick, while rushing for 10 attempts of 66 yards. Maye also fumbled the ball twice, losing one of them.
Maye knows that ahead of Sunday’s game, he has to take care of the football. Fortunately, the team is confident that he’ll do just that.
“He knows the priority, he knows the importance of taking care of the football, and then ending every drive with some sort of kick would be ideal for us this week, and he understands that,” said Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels. “So I trust him implicitly to do the right thing for our football team. I know he’s preparing his butt off right now.”
Additionally, the Patriots recieved some more good news. Defensive tackle Khyris Tonga says he’s optimistic about playing this week after being sidelined the last two games with a foot injury.
For the Texans, they’re beat up. Top wide receiver Nico Collins did not participate in practice and is considered to be a ‘long shot’ to play. Collins suffered a concussion after hitting his head on the ground in Houston’s Monday night win against the Steelers and has since been in concussion protocol.
The Pats are set to face the Houston Texans on Sunday at 3 P.M.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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