Patriots give bad news on injury front, rule out two key players

Photo by Katie Shannon (nePatriotsLife.com)

We thought we had good news earlier in the week when we found out that starting left tackle Nate Solder had returned to practice this week after suffering his second concussion in as many weeks in last Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins.

However, the Patriots will be in a pinch when they face off against the dangerous Baltimore Ravens front this Sunday with their eventual playoff lives on the line.

Jeff Howe, Boston Herald:

Left tackle Nate Solder couldn't pass his concussion test today and didn't travel with the Patriots to Baltimore. He'll miss the first game of his career after suffering a fourth diagnosed concussion in three seasons.

The fact that Solder was practicing earlier this week meant nothing if he couldn't pass the NFL's concussion protocol. It remains likely that he can play next week against the Buffalo Bills, but Patriots fans should be prepared to potentially face life without Solder the rest of the season. Concussions are that serious of an issue, especially when they happen frequently and so close together.

Logan Mankins slid into the left tackle spot when Solder went down last week, and spoke earlier this week that he would be ready to do so again if necessary.

Still, that's less than ideal when you're going against the likes of Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil and Haloti Ngata.

In a bit of more bad news, wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins will also be out against Baltimore, but on the bright side fellow rookie Aaron Dobson looks like he might play.

Wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins was surprisingly left home, too, as he'll miss his third game with a hip injury. Yesterday, Thompkins sounded like he was ready to play, but he wasn't cleared today.

Wide receiver Aaron Dobson was cleared today and made the trip with the team. He has missed three games with a foot injury.

It's tough to still be without Thompkins, who hasn't played since Week 13. However, at least they might have Aaron Dobson, who will add a dynamic threat to the Patriots offense. Without Dobson, the Patriots are literally left with all slot receivers on their team.

The Pats were able to scrounge 20 points up against the Dolphins last week with that personnel, but they face a bigger challenge in the Ravens.