Patriots Daily; Antonio Gibson On Injury Report; Chiefs Win Opener

There was some good news on the New England Patriots practice participation report yesterday. Cornerback Jonathan Jones (hamstring) and linebacker Oshane Ximines (ankle) went from limited participation on Wednesday to full participation yesterday. New England removed Christian Elliss (concussion) from the report altogether. But not all the news was good, as running back Antonio Gibson (hip) was added to the list as a limited participant.

Gibson is listed as the backup to RB Rhamondre Stevenson but is expected to see plenty of action if available. He is also one of the team’s kickoff returners, along with Marcus Jones. If Gibson can’t play on Sunday, it could mean a larger role for running back JaMycal Hasty. It is unclear who will replace Gibson on special teams if he cannot go. Jalen Reagor may receive an early elevation from the practice squad, though New England might not want to use one of their 48 active spots on elevating a kickoff returner.

New England signed Gibson to a three-year deal during the offseason. His contract has a base value of $11.25 million and a maximum value of $17.75. It is unclear how the injury occurred.

Sidy Sow (ankle) remained a non-participant, with Vederian Lowe (abdomen) and Joshua Uche (foot) joining Gibson as limited participants. The injury status for all Patriots will continue to be monitored leading up to game time on Sunday.

Chiefs Win NFL Kickoff Game

The Kansas City Chiefs pulled out a thrilling 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in the 2024 NFL Kickoff Game last night. Baltimore appeared to score as time expired. The pass from Lamar Jackson to Isaiah Likely was called a touchdown on the field, but overturned upon replay. Likely’s toe was just out-of-bounds on the backline.

ISAIAH LIKELY'S FOOT WAS OUT OF BOUNDS 😱

THE CHIEFS WIN GAME 1.#Kickoff2024 pic.twitter.com/plMpYt9s5k

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 6, 2024

Based on PFN’s Power Rankings, the game between the No. 1 Chiefs and No. 5 Ravens was the marquee matchup of Week 1. The No. 4 Philadelphia Eagles “host” the No. 11 Green Bay Packers tonight in São Paulo, Brazil. It is another game that could serve as a potential playoff preview. After a Saturday of college football, 13 NFL games are scheduled for Sunday.

Also in Friday’s Patriots Daily:

Patriots Fact/Trivia of the Day

The New England Patriots have a record of 35-29-0 in their season openers. Their .547 winning percentage ranks No. 11 of the 32 active NFL franchises. The two teams with the highest opening-game winning percentages are the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. They have identical 40-23-1 records (.633). The Carolina Panthers own the worst opening week record at 11-18 (.379).

Post of the Day

Post of the Day goes to Eric Andre, welcoming back the NFL season:

Welcome back, @NFL pic.twitter.com/bdUFxv0uMr

— Eric Andre (@ericandre) September 5, 2024

2024 NFL Predictions: Standings, Playoffs, and Super Bowl Picks – I made my predictions official before Week 1 for the 2024 season. Will the Kansas City Chiefs win three in a row? How many games will the New England Patriots win? These were my predictions for the upcoming campaign.

Kelley: Not All Rookie QBs Need to Be Handled the Same Way – Some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks started in Week 1 of their rookie year. Others sat for multiple seasons. There is more than one right way to achieve success as an NFL quarterback.

New England Patriots Have 24 Free Agents in 2025– Taking a look at the Patriots scheduled to hit the market after the season. Sixteen of them will become unrestricted free agents. Who will earn new deals with their play in 2024? And which players, if any, will Eliot Wolf prioritize retaining?