Tonight, the Patriots downgraded three players from questionable to out. Guard Stephen Neal, running back Fred Taylor, and nose tackle Myron Pryor are all out.
For Neal, guard Dan Connolly will likely take his place in the line-up. While Connolly has played almost exclusively left guard this season (except for last week), playing right guard will give him a chance to prove he can start at that side as well, which could pay dividends for him down the road when Stephen Neal inevitably retires.
The Patriots had optimism that running back Fred Taylor could return this week. While Taylor had been held out of practice since week three, he finally returned to the field after healing his turf toe injury. The Patriots apparently felt that he wasn't quite ready, so I'd expect him to return next week against the Colts at home.
The loss of Myron Pryor could create a shuffle in sub-packages for the Patriots. Myron Pryor has been in primarily in sub-packages on passing downs this season, although he started at nose tackle last week. Look for Brandon Deaderick to kick inside next to Mike Wright on passing downs, giving him a chance to showcase his pass rushing skills.