Several New England Patriots players are listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans due to illnesses, and the team has taken some extreme measures in an attempt to prevent anything from spreading further.
The Patriots flew in two separate planes to Houston this week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. One plane was to accommodate members of the team who were healthy, and the other was essentially those who were being quarantined.
With an illness sweeping the locker room this week, the Patriots did something uncommon in traveling to Houston: the team flew in two planes, one to accommodate those who were sick and keep others away from them. Nine players are questionable because of the sickness.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 1, 2019
Star defensive players Stephon Gilmore, D’Onta Hightower and Jamie Collins are among those who have been listed as questionable because of illnesses, so New England’s elite defense could be shorthanded against Deshaun Watson and company. That will certainly be worth monitoring.
Illnesses can spread quickly among players and coaches who are working closely together every day, and we have seen other pro sports teams take extreme precaution to prevent things from getting worse as well. The Dallas Cowboys actually dealt with a similar issue prior to losing to the Patriots last week, so you have to wonder if it was a factor.
