Mike Vrabel expects injured Patriots Kayshon Boutte, Rhamondre Stevenson to return to practice Wednesday
Boutte and Stevenson both missed last week's games against the Bucs and Jets.
FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots are expecting Kayshon Boutte and Rhamondre Stevenson to be available for practice Wednesday, coach Mike Vrabel told reporters Monday.
Both players missed the last two games, wins over the Buccaneers and the Jets. Stevenson hasn’t played since the Patriots hosted the Browns on Oct. 26. Boutte had one target during the win against the Falcons on Nov. 2.
Boutte (hamstring) was a limited participant in all three practices leading up to last Thursday’s Jets game. Stevenson (toe) participated Monday and Tuesday before missing Wednesday’s practice.
“I would expect them to be out there Wednesday. And then again, we’ll see, monitor how that goes,” Vrabel said. “To me, when you come back, it’s just about the volume and handling what their normal volume would be. Can they, obviously, do their job up to what we expect and what they expect it to be, and being able to protect themselves out there?”
Running back TreVeyon Henderson has seen an increased workload with Stevenson out. He has played in at least 75 percent of the offensive snaps over the past three games. That number had not reached higher than 50 percent before Stevenson’s injury.
Henderson is averaging 88 yards rushing over the past three games, and has scored five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) over that span.
Wideout Kyle Williams has also received more playing time, appearing in at least 45 percent of the snaps in each game that Boutte has been out. The speedy receiver made a highlight-reel 72-yard touchdown catch against the Buccaneers. It was his only catch of that three-game stretch, during which he had six targets.
Veteran receivers Mack Hollins (57) and Stefon Diggs (46) both hit season highs for snap counts against the Jets.
The Patriots are coming off a stretch that included three games in 12 days. They had some extra downtime this weekend with no game Sunday. Monday offered an opportunity to regroup, go over some things, and hit the ground running as they prepare for Cincinnati.
“Whatever gets us back to neutral and be able to move forward, prepare and stay on our conditioning,” Vrabel said. “But it’s a long stretch of games that we just had, and I think that the energy is great right now where we’re at, coming back in here on a Monday, meeting, getting all those things reviewed and working out. And so, those would be good.”
Pushing forward
Henderson’s speed and explosiveness are primary aspects of his game, but he also showed last week that he can keep his feet churning during short-yardage situations.
Early in the second quarter of Thursday’s win, Henderson took a toss and sprinted for the end zone. New York’s Jamien Sherwood had him wrapped up a couple of yards out, but Will Campbell, Hunter Henry, Jared Wilson, and Mike Onwenu got behind Henderson and shoved him over the line for the 7-yard score.
“A pile push is what [Vrabel] lives for,” Hollins said after the game. “We have fun with that. We love that. It’s kind of a sign of, ‘Hey, everybody is around the ball,’ and we want our guy to score no matter who it is.”
Vrabel said that’s the kind of effort he’s looking for in those situations. He has emphasized the importance of finishing plays throughout the season.
“I think it just lends itself to what we want to be as a team, as an organization, is rallying around somebody that’s — they’re in there trying to rip the ball away. They’re in there trying to hit them,” Vrabel said. “Whatever we can do to protect the guy with the ball is critical. And so, to me, it’s about protecting your teammates and protecting the guy with the ball.”
The road ahead
The Patriots and Denver, both 9-2, hold the best records in the AFC. Indianapolis (8-2) is also in the mix for the No. 1 seed.
The top-seeded team in each conference receives home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs and a first-round bye.
If the season ended today, Denver would be the No. 1 seed because it has played a stronger schedule than the Patriots.
Buffalo (7-3) is currently No. 2 in the AFC East. The Bills, who travel to Foxborough on Dec. 14, are the only remaining team on the Patriots’ schedule with a record above .500.
Baltimore, which has won four straight, is 5-5. Miami is 4-7. Cincinnati is 3-7. The Jets are 2-8. The Giants are 2-9.
The Patriots will visit Cincinnati this Sunday and host the Giants for Monday Night Football on Dec. 1 before heading into their bye week.
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