FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots offense is likely to get a needed lift this Sunday with Isaiah Wynn expected to return against the Cowboys.
Sidelined since September, the 2018 first-round pick has been practicing for three weeks and was activated off the injured reserve Tuesday. Expectations are high for Wynn, who has played only two games in his NFL career. How much can a player that green help a struggling offense?
“A lot,” running backs coach Ivan Fears replied. “We were just talking about it. Isaiah is a very good football player. He’s a talented athlete that’s got a great love for the game and he’s got a little nastiness, which is what you need.
“Having him back in there will make a world of difference when it comes to making some of the blocks that we like to see that guy make – and I think he’s capable of doing that stuff. That’s probably going to open a hole here or there.”
Wynn missed all of his rookie season with a torn Achilles tendon, and has been out the last two months with a toe injury.
Has it been frustrating?
“Heck yeah,” offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia interjected. “I think right now, what we’re seeing is a guy that’s really, completely healthy. Stronger than he’s been. We thought he was a good player when we went into the season and we still think even that much more of him now.”
Even Coach Bill Belichick offered a bit of praise for Wynn.
“Isaiah always works hard,” Belichick said. “He did a lot of scout team work to get his timing back and all of that, so working against a defense. But yeah, he works hard and he’s always ready to go.”
Sunday afternoon, Wynn should finally get a chance to showcase that.
TOM BRADY popped up on the Pats’ injury report Friday with a new right elbow injury and is officially listed as questionable, but he is expected to play Sunday against Dallas.
Marcus Cannon (illness) is also questionable, but Scarnecchia expects him to play. “He had a flare-up allergy deal (Thursday), was coughing the whole practice,” Scarnecchia said. “So the trainers determined that he was best at home (Friday). He’ll be out here. If he doesn’t, I’m playing. And we’ve all got trouble.”
WITH INJURIES to Mohamed Sanu (ankle, expected to miss Sunday’s game) and Phillip Dorsett (concussion), the Patriots could be very thin at wide receiver this weekend. And Belichick wasn’t tipping his hand.
He was asked, “Do you have a sense of Sanu and Dorsett’s statuses for Sunday?”
“I have a sense, yeah,” Belichick said.
Then he was asked, “Care to share?”
“Yeah, we’ll share it when the injury report comes out after practice,” Belichick replied. “I’ll make sure you get a copy. No point in guessing on it. Might as well go out and practice, see what they can do, and make an accurate report. I’m not going to sit here and try to Ouija board it here this morning, tell you how a guy is going to feel before he’s gone out and done anything. I mean, that wouldn’t be responsible on my part.”
DALLAS WILL will be without linebacker Leighton Vander Esch Sunday. Coach Jason Garrett confirmed his status Friday, saying he is week-to-week with a neck issue that flared up at practice this week.
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