The bye week treated the New England Patriots well.
Core special-teamer Nate Ebner would be the lone absence for New England’s active roster on Wednesday, while fellow safety Patrick Chung made his return after not being spotted during the previous two practices.
Heel and chest ailments have seen Chung miss a pair of games since the start of October. He’d drawn the questionable designation as recently as the start of November, and is expected to draw a critical role against Philadelphia Eagles tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert on Sunday.
Here’s the initial injury report heading into the 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field.
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
- Patriots: S Nate Ebner (ankle/back)
- Eagles: WR Alshon Jeffery (ankle), LB Nigel Bradham (ankle)
Twice ruled out due to a groin injury this season, Ebner ranks fourth on New England’s special teams in snaps behind only running back Brandon Bolden, outside linebacker Shilique Calhoun and captain Matthew Slater. His absence Wednesday was the result of ankle and back injuries.
On the Eagles’ side, Jeffery and Bradham both missed Wednesday’s practice with ankle injuries. The latter starter last checked in for the Philadelphia defensive front in Week 6.
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
- Patriots: TE Matt LaCosse (knee), DT Danny Shelton (ankle), S Patrick Chung (heel/chest)
- Eagles: RB Jordan Howard (shoulder), OT Jason Peters (knee)
An additional two Patriots joined Chung as limited participants on Wednesday, with Shelton a new arrival on a thinning report. The New England nose tackle is dealing with an ankle issue.
Limited for Philadelphia were Howard and Peters. The ex-Chicago Bears running back has scored seven touchdowns this fall, while the 37-year-old offensive tackle has been sidelined for the past three games. Eagles head coach Doug Pederson shared this week that Peters, a nine-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro, had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery.