FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots will be without starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez due to a shoulder injury when they visit the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, coach Mike Vrabel said.
Gonzalez did not practice all week. He made a physical tackle in the first quarter of last week's blowout loss to the Jaguars but stayed in the game after that play.
In addition, defensive tackle Christian Barmore won't play due to a shoulder injury, Vrabel said. Barmore has played 52% of the defensive snaps through three games, with his top play a strip sack of Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in a 20-3 win in Week 2 that was recovered and returned for a touchdown.
"That's what the situation is, there's nothing we can do about it," Vrabel said after Friday's practice. "We can make sure that the guys that are playing are ready. That happens every week in the National Football League. I'm looking forward to seeing the guys that are going to play in there."
Vrabel said slot corner Marcus Jones could be tapped to play more on the outside to help fill Gonzalez's void, while third-year player Charles Woods also is anticipated to play alongside starter Carlton Davis III.
"Gonzo is a playmaker, for sure, so we know we're going to miss him out there," Davis said. "But we preach all the time 'next guy up' and Charles Woods has been playing good every time he has to step in for one of us. We're going to trust him and go into this game trying to win it, for sure."
Vrabel also mentioned rookie Karon Prunty, a fifth-round pick from Wake Forest, as someone who could be called upon to step in as a depth option in addition to his special teams duties.
The Patriots, who won the AFC East last season, are 1-2 and would fall further behind the 3-0 Bills in the standings with a loss. Through three games, Buffalo is fourth in the league in total offense.
