Week 8 Patriots vs Browns inactives: Shaq Mason OUT, Patrick Chung and Rex Burkhead return

In not even 90 minutes, the New England Patriots will play their eighth game of the 2019 regular season, trying to improve their record to 8-0: the team will square off against the Cleveland Browns who are entering today’s contest with a 2-4 record. Before getting ahead of ourselves, however, let’s take a look at the players on both sides who have been declared inactive and will therefore not participate in today’s contest:

Patriots inactives

TE Ryan Izzo

TE Matt LaCosse

CB Joejuan Williams

OG Shaq Mason

RB Damien Harris

DT Byron Cowart

With the Patriots never filling the roster spot that was created when defensive lineman Michael Bennett was traded to the Dallas Cowboys earlier this week, the team only had to deactivate six players for today’s game — and two of them were already known heading into the weekend: Ryan Izzo and Matt LaCosse will miss their second straight game, which means that Benjamin Watson and Eric Tomlinson again are the team’s tight ends.

The other four inactives were announced today, and the biggest name among them is starting right guard Shaq Mason: the fifth-year man was listed as questionable entering the game because of an ankle injury and will therefore miss his first game of the season. Veteran James Ferentz will likely replace him in the starting lineup — another blow to an offensive line that already is without starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn.

The other four players listed as questionable on Friday will play, meanwhile: running back Rex Burkhead and safety Patrick Chung return after missing three and one game, respectively, while wide receivers Julian Edelman and Gunner Olszewski are also active.

Browns inactives

FS Damarious Randall

WR Taywan Taylor

WR Damion Ratley

DE Chris Smith

FS Sheldrick Redwine

OT Kendall Lamm

DT Eli Ankou

Three of the Browns’ inactives — Damarious Randall, Sheldrick Redwine and Kendall Lamm — were listed on the team’s final injury report, the rest of the inactives are all healthy scratches.