Report: Patriots Downgrade Team TD Leader for Broncos Tilt

The Denver Broncos will host a severely depleted New England Patriots squad on Christmas Eve.

One day removed from listing tight end Hunter Henry and offensive tackle Conor McDermott as questionable for Christmas Eve's tilt vs. the Denver Broncos, the New England Patriots have reportedly downgraded them both to out. 

"Patriots OL Conor McDermott and TE Hunter Henry have been downgraded to out against the Broncos," NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported on Saturday via X/Twitter. 

#Patriots OL Conor McDermott and TE Hunter Henry have been downgraded to out against the #Broncos.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 23, 2023

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Henry is New England's team leader in touchdowns and ranks second in receiving yards, while McDermott's absence will deprive its offense of valuable offensive line depth. It's a grievous blow to the Patriots, as the team had already ruled out two offensive starters in running back Rhamondre Stevenson and wide receiver Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster. 

Considering how bad the Broncos have been of late in defending tight ends and the middle of the field in general, Henry posed a significant threat to Vance Joseph's defense. But that threat has been eliminated as a result of the injury bug. 

The Broncos are catching a break here. New England's injury woes aren't just on the offensive side, as three of its top-five tacklers could miss Sunday night's action. 

Safety Jabrill Peppers has already been ruled out, while linebacker duo Ja'Wuan Bentley and Jahlani Tavai are listed as questionable. I'd be surprised if Bentley or Tavai don't suit up, but even with both in the lineup, the Patriots' defense will be depleted somewhat vs. the Broncos. 

New England's linebacker duo has combined for 176 tackles. Throw in Peppers' 73 on the season, and the Patriots' stubborn rushing defense could be a bit more susceptible to the Broncos' ground game. 

No doubt, Broncos head coach Sean Payton will test Bill Belichick's rushing defense. But with how good the Patriots are in that department, even with some of the injury question marks, Coach Payton had better have a few viable alternatives queued up because Belichick is famous for taking away opponents' top receiving option and for smothering team strengths. 

Courtland Sutton leads the Broncos' receiving corps this season with 770 yards and 10 touchdowns, and while he has the ability to beat double teams at the catch point on vertical passing plays, it might be in Russell Wilson's best interest to look elsewhere, especially with how quickly Jerry Jeudy can get open, and with how explosive rookie Marvin Mims Jr. has proven to be in Year 1. 

The Broncos must be wary. Necessity is the mother of invention, after all, and a proven tactician such as Belichick, when backed into a corner, is capable of marvelous adjustments on the fly that can inflict damage. 

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