The New England Patriots will face the Chicago Bears without star tight end Rob Gronkowski, who has been ruled out due to his nagging injuries. Gronkowski had been listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, along with wide receivers Josh Gordon, Julian Edelman, and Sony Michel.
However, all three are expected to play despite their respective injuries, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
The #Patriots slew of questionable skill guys — RB Sony Michel (knee), WR Julian Edelman (heel), WR Josh Gordon (hamstring) — are all expected to play, sources say.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2018
Having both Edelman and Gordon available will obviously be huge for the passing game, especially with Gronk out. They are two of Brady’s top targets and will provide the Pats QB with some dangerous weapons out wide.
Edelman, who has been Brady's most trusted receiver over the years, has been back to his usual productive self since returning from his four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs to start the season. Through two games, he has 11 catches for 111 yards and a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Gordon has slowly but surely become a much bigger part of the Patriots offense. He had a team-high nine targets in their win against the Chiefs, catching five balls for 42 yards. In three games for New England, Gordon has nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.
And speaking of being a big part of the offense, Michel has been just that. The rookie running back has been terrific over the last three games, putting up 316 yards and four touchdowns during that span.
Michel’s ability to allow the Patriots to run the football on a consistent basis will be crucial in countering the Bears’ formidable pass rush.
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