Patriots rule out Donta Hightower Danny

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If the are going to respond to their Week 1 lo s to the with a win in New Orleans, they're going to need to overcome three key injuries. On Friday, the Patriots ruled out three key players for their Week 2 game against the on Sunday.Those three players:Linebacker (knee)Receiver (concu sion/knee)Special teams player (hamstring)Nose tackle has also been ruled out with a Rawle Alkins Jersey knee injury, but let's focus on those three players above -- because they're all really important to the Jahlil Okafor Jersey Patriots.Hightower is the most important member of the Patriots' front-seven, a group that's lost a few key members in recent years, from to to . Since the Patriots jettisoned Collins to Cleveland, they've used Hightower more and more on the edge as a pa s rusher. He left in the third quarter of the Patriots' Week 1 lo s with and in the fourth quarter, the Patriots were roasted for 21 points. The Patriots' linebackers are generally slow and ineffective. Hightower is the exception. As I wrote on Thursday, Look for the Saints to target the Patriots' linebackers in coverage and Sindarius Thornwell Jersey if has time to sit back in a clean pocket, The lo s of Amendola is only a big deal because the Patriots are already mi sing , who . Last week, Amendola shined, catching six of his seven targets for 100 yards. Without Edelman and now Amendola (and with looking le s than 100 percent), the Patriots still do have weapons for Brady, though. Their backfield is crowded with dependable players like , , and Kenrich Williams Jersey , and their receiving corps still features and . Amendola is a tough lo s, but the Patriots are more equipped to deal with his absence than Hightower's.Meanwhile, Slater is an important special teams player for the Patriots. He was voted first-team All Pro last year and has Willy Hernangomez Jersey been to six Pro Bowls. The main takeaway: The Patriots are going be challenged to come away with a win on Sunday. That doesn't mean they won't rebound with a win -- after all, Bill Belichick has had more than a week to correct some i sues and come up with a game plan. It just means the battle might be a bit tougher than initially expected.