The New England Patriots are one game away from the Super Bowl, but they are heading into the contest against the Denver Broncos with less trust in EDGE Harold Landry. In the win over the Houston Texans, Landry was limited to just 11 snaps (h/t @MikeReiss), highlighting how little faith head coach Mike Vrabel must have in his former Tennessee Titans pupil.
That number is a season low and 15 fewer snaps than he played in the Wild Card Round. For a player dealing with a knee injury, this isn't a positive update, illustrating that the issue is something to worry about going into the AFC Championship Game
Harold Landry's Knee Injury Gives Patriots Reason for Pause
This knee injury isn't something new. He sat out in both Week 17 and Week 18 before returning for the wild-card game. Despite being out there on the field, he isn't impacting the game as he did earlier in the season. Over the last two games, Landry has compiled four total tackles, zero sacks, and one hurry.
That's certainly a step back from the player they saw earlier this season. In his first year with New England, Landry had 48 total pressures, 29 hurries, and a team-high 8.5 sacks. He was a big-ticket free agent for this team and provided them with a nice force off the edge. Yet as the season hit the most important stretch, the Pats couldn't have the same trust in him.
When a player is less than 100%, there's nothing they can do. They just aren't healthy enough to play at the same speed, and that seems to be how it looks for Landry. Over the last two weeks, Landry was limited in practice, but it's clear he needs some more rest.
With Landry dealing with this knee injury, the Patriots had to lean on Anfernee Jennings and Elijah Ponder. Fans should expect a similar approach in the game against the Broncos.
Something working out in New England's favor is that this defense has been dominant, despite Landry's injury. Pro Football Focus revealed that the Patriots' defense has recorded nine sacks, 66 pressures, and six takeaways this postseason. Meanwhile, they allowed just one touchdown while also scoring on defense.
This defense is built tough and has multiple players who are capable of stepping up. That makes the situation around Landry a little better, but it's obvious New England shouldn't rely on Landry. His knee is still bothering him, and it likely won't get better in time for the AFC title game.