Patriots CBs Jesse Jackson, Jonathan Jones officially active for Sunday’s game vs. Saints


The Patriots inactive for Sunday’s contest against the Saints are LB Matthew Judon (elbow), G Cole Strange (knee), OT Kelvin Anderson, OT Tyron Wheatley and WR Kayshon Boutte. The team also named QB Will Grier as the emergency quarterback. The Saints inactives are TE Juwan Johnson, S Lonnie Johnson Jr., QB Jake Luton, G Andrus Peet, WR AT Perry, D Kyle Phillips and OL Landon Young. Without Peat (concussion), the Saints will likely have backup G James Hurst in the starting lineup.

Starting in the defensive backfield, the Patriots will have two additional players to replace Gonzalez, with Jones returning from a three-game absence and newly acquired CB Jesse Jackson activated in his return to New England. Following Gonzalez’s injury, the team re-acquired Jackson via trade with the Chargers, where Jackson failed to land a big free-agent move to LA.

Although Jackson had an up-and-down season in Los Angeles, including a season-ending knee injury that ended his 2022 campaign after five games, Jackson turned pro with the Patriots in 2021. Made a bowl. The ball-hawking corner recorded 25 interceptions in four seasons with the Pats, and as he works his way back to full strength, Jackson’s coverage metrics began to level off in two games with the Chargers this season. In two games this season, Jackson has allowed a 46.2% catch rate in his coverages, consistent with his 52.4% catch rate in 2021.

Aside from a key loss at Judon, the Patriots’ defensive front will have DL Christian Barmore (knee) and DT Devon Godchaux (ankle) back active despite their injuries. After the team did not activate veteran DL Trey Flowers this week, second-rounder Keion White will likely step into a bigger role without Judon along with Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings and Jahlani Tavai. White has shown flashes of explosive movements to pressure the pocket, using his length to disrupt passing lanes, recording six quarterback pressures in 46 opportunities.

The Patriots certainly lost two of their best players indefinitely in last Sunday’s loss, making a bad day in Dallas even worse. Losing Gonzalez and Judon will likely hinder the defense from taking the next step. Still, if New England can revive Jackson’s career and combine that with the return of Jones and the emergence of White, head coach Bill Belichick should have enough talent to remain competitive on defense.

Moving on offense, the Patriots will have lead-back Raimondre Stevenson and officially activated OL Riley Reiff on Saturday. Reiff is active after missing the first four games, giving the Pats the option to try out their originally planned offensive line combination. Through the first four weeks, New England ranks last in pass-blocking win rate and 20th in run-blocking grade, while the Pats right tackles have allowed a combined 29 quarterback pressures. Reiff had some tackle-related problems over the summer, so he moved inside to safety. But it’s hard to imagine things getting any worse with Reiff in the position he was brought in to play this season.

The three most likely offensive line combinations with Reiff in the mix are as follows:

– LT Trent Brown, LG Antonio Maffei, C David Andrews, RG Michael Onwenu, RT Riley Reiff

– LT Trent Brown, LG Antonio Maffei, C David Andrews, RG Riley Reiff, RT Michael Onwenu

– OR status quo: LT Brown, LG Mafi, C Andrews, RG Onwenu, RT Werderien Lowe

From this perspective, the O-line’s performance in the first month of the season warrants a change at right tackle. Still, it depends on whether the coaching staff believes the combination with Reiff has received enough practice time to perform well on game day.

Ultimately, New England needs to do its best to get Jackson and Reiff on the roster this week while Jones returns from injury. The Pats need to take advantage of an easy two games after a tough opening month by starting with a win on Sunday.

The Patriots look to bounce back from a disappointing loss in Dallas when they host the New Orleans Saints for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.


Leave a Comment

“The Untold Story: Yung Miami’s Response to Jimmy Butler’s Advances During an NBA Playoff Game” “Unveiling the Secrets: 15 Astonishing Facts About the PGA Championship”