AMHERST, N.Y. — As expected, the Patriots will once again have a different starting five on the offensive line on Sunday against the Bills. On Saturday night they downgraded rookie Bryan Stork to out.
Stork suffered a concussion during Thursday’s full-pads practice and did not practice Friday.
The Patriots also downgraded cornerback Brandon Browner (ankle) and defensive lineman Dominique Easley (knee/shoulder); neither made the trip after not practicing Thursday or Friday.
Browner, who had to sit out the first four games of the season because of an NFL suspension, must wait a bit longer to make his debut with the Patriots. Easley is coming off his first start last week against the Bengals.
Though Stork was listed as questionable (50-50 chance of playing), NFL concussion protocol made it unlikely he would be cleared in time for the game — players must “gradually” return to exercise and then return to practice and play. Given that he suffered his concussion on Thursday, it seemed improbable he would have gone through those steps in just a couple of days.
Without Stork, a fourth-round pick this season who had started the previous two games, the Patriots will field their fourth different starting quintet for the line this season.
It is expected Ryan Wendell will start at center, where he started each of the last two years. Since Wendell started at right guard against Cincinnati, there will be a change at both guard spots as well — Marcus Cannon will be at left guard and Dan Connolly will flip to right guard.
Cannon started at left guard the first three weeks of the season and seems to struggle on the interior, but the Patriots don’t have much choice; from a talent standpoint, Cannon is one of their five best linemen.
Tom Brady, listed as questionable with an ankle injury that landed him on the injury report on Friday, made the trip to Buffalo. It will be a surprise if he does not play on Sunday.
Inside job
One thing the Patriots might have trouble doing on Sunday is running effectively on the outside. That’s no slight against the New England running backs; it’s the preferred scheme of new Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who likes to funnel the action inside, where playmakers such as defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus will be waiting.
“It’s the same thing that we saw at Tennessee, same thing we saw at Detroit with Jim, going back to [Kyle] Vanden Bosch. Change the names, but it’s the same type of scheme and players,” said Bill Belichick, naming Schwartz’s previous coaching stops.
“They like to play the ends out wide. Now, they’ll pinch them in to keep you honest. They’re a really hard team to get outside on. They don’t give up many outside plays; Jim never has.’’
Schwartz was the head coach of the Lions for five years, but was fired last season; he was quickly hired by Bills coach
Doug Marrone
to replace
Mike Pettine
, who left Buffalo to become coach of the Browns.
“It’s just hard to get outside on those guys. That’s definitely the foundation of that defense: set the edge with the ends, and then force the ball inside. That’s definitely what they’re trying to do.”
Schwartz is making an immediate impact — the Bills are second in the NFL against the run and eighth in total defense.