Week 15 of the NFL regular season will be an important one for the 11-2 New England Patriots. New England will take on its AFC East rival, the Buffalo Bills, in a showdown that could decide the division title race. Should the Patriots win against Buffalo, New England would clinch the AFC East for the first time since 2019 and the playoff spot that comes with it.
Winning in Week 15 would be huge for the Patriots as the team would only have to worry about its positioning over the last three games of the season. In addition, clinching a playoff spot this week would allow the Patriots to be extra cautious with rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell, who may have been the biggest winner of the Patriots' bye week.
Week 15 will present a clearer picture of what the Patriots' Super Bowl path could be, should New England successfully lock up the division. This will also be a good playoff test for the Patriots, something that this young roster could use as it inches closer to the league's second season.
Going into this Week 15 game, however, the Patriots will have a decision to make at the running back position. That only became more complicated with Wednesday's news.
Pats Have RB Decision to Make With Terrell Jennings in Concussion Protocol
The Patriots' running back room took a hit entering Week 15, with Terrell Jennings currently in the concussion protocol, per Patriots.com Evan Lazar. Jennings has appeared in seven games for the Patriots this season, running 23 times for 73 yards and one touchdown.
To make things tougher for New England, practice squad running back D'Ernest Johnson has already been elevated three times this season, meaning he cannot be elevated again. For Johnson to play, the Patriots would need to sign Johnson to the active roster. If the Patriots look to elevate a player from the practice squad, Jashaun Corbin is the only other healthy running back on the practice squad following Craig Reynolds's placement on the practice squad IR, per Lazar.
Even though Jennings hasn't had a productive season, losing your third running back is still a cause for concern. Only having two running backs on the roster that you trust is risky, especially given Rhamondre Stevenson's propensity to put the ball on the turf. While TreVeyon Henderson has shown promise during the second half of the season, using him as part of a two-back rotation only opens him up for additional hits and potential injuries.
God forbid one of them were to get injured in a game, New England would be up the creek without a paddle entering the playoffs. No matter what seed the Patriots lock up, they will need a reliable running game to keep defenses honest against second-year QB Drake Maye.
Should Jennings miss the Week 15 game against the Bills, the Patriots would likely add a running back to the active roster. This late in the season, finding an adequate replacement will be a tough task.