Patriots likely without Alijah Vera-Tucker, Ben Brown on Thursday vs. Bears
Mike Vrabel said it is unlikely either interior lineman will be available for New England's Thursday night game at Chicago, though veteran tackle Morgan Moses has a chance to play
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The Patriots are preparing to play Thursday night at Chicago without two of their starting interior linemen, with coach Mike Vrabel indicating neither left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker nor guard/center Ben Brown is likely to be available.
Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss): Mike Vrabel says it is unlikely that G/C Ben Brown and LG Alijah Vera-Tucker will be available this week, but there is a chance veteran OT Morgan Moses could be available.
The short week is the central problem. New England plays at the Bears on Thursday night, which compresses the recovery window to three days for players who would ordinarily get a full week to work back from a soft-tissue or joint issue. Vera-Tucker is dealing with a hamstring injury and Brown a knee injury — the kind of ailments that rarely resolve on a short turnaround.
The one piece of encouraging news is on the outside of the line. Vrabel said veteran tackle Morgan Moses, who has been working through an ankle injury, could be available, giving New England a chance to keep its edge protection intact even if the interior is patched together.
That distinction matters for how the Patriots can call a game in Chicago. Interior pressure is the fastest route to disrupting a quarterback, and a reshuffled guard combination invites exactly that. Having Moses available at tackle would at least keep the edges settled while the team figures out how to cover the two interior spots.
The Patriots are also working against a short week for installation. Any replacement combination gets one practice and a walkthrough rather than a normal week of reps, which tends to simplify protections and limit what an offense is willing to ask of a backup.
New England's decisions on Vera-Tucker, Brown and Moses will be finalized on the Thursday night inactive list, but Vrabel's comments point toward a line that will look noticeably different than it did in Sunday's win over the Jets.