On Thursday, New England ruled out starting CB Marcus Jones (hip) for Week 17. The Patriots also listed the following players as questionable: C Ben Brown (concussion), S Kyle Dugger (ankle/quad), LB Curtis Jacobs (concussion), LB Titos Leo (ankle), LB Anfernee Jennings (knee), S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring), OL Cole Strange (knee), LB Sione Takitaki (knee), LB Jahlani Tavai (groin), OT Caedan Wallace (ankle).

Starting with the offensive line, top center Ben Brown didn’t practice this week due to a concussion, but the team is saying he still has a chance to play on Saturday. It’s not totally unprecedented for players to clear concussion protocol in one week. However, if Brown cannot play, the expectation is that former first-rounder Cole Strange will start at center, his first start this season and his first-ever start at center in the NFL.

After a lengthy recovery from a severe knee injury, Strange was active for the first time in Buffalo. However, the 29th overall pick in the 2022 draft didn’t play a snap vs. the Bills. Strange’s knee injury occurred in a Dec. 17 game against the Chiefs last season. He then returned to practice for the first time this season on Nov. 20 and was activated off the PUP list last week. In his first two seasons, Strange has exclusively played left guard. Since returning to practice late last month, Strange has practiced at center, as the Pats coaching staff views Strange as a center.

The challenging parts of playing center are obviously snapping and making the line calls. In some offenses, the quarterback is responsible for setting MIKE points and protections. But the center is the one who communicates those things for offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. Strange’s conditioning will also be tested to play wire-to-wire. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo also mentioned backup Lecitus Smith as another option at center, so he’ll likely back up Strange. The Patriots O-Line without Brown could be LT Vederian Lowe, LG Layden Robinson, C Cole Strange, RG Mike Onwenu, and RT Trey Jacobs.

Moving over to the defense, the Patriots will be without starting corner and punt returner Marcus Jones for the second straight game due to a hip injury. Jones didn’t participate in any practices for the second consecutive week and hasn’t been spotted during open locker room access. With only one game remaining in the regular season following Saturday’s contest, it’ll be interesting to see if Jones returns at this point in the season.

As for replacing Jones, veteran Jonathan Jones did a fantastic job covering Bills slot receiver Khalil Shakir last Sunday. On 12 routes in man coverage, Jones held Shakir to one catch for 12 yards with a pass breakup. Jones will likely draw the matchup vs. Chargers slot wideout Ladd McConkey. McConkey, like Shakir, is the engine of LA’s offense. The Pats will also probably elevate WR/PR Alex Erickson from the practice squad for the second consecutive week to return punts on Saturday.

Along with replacing Marcus Jones, Patriots starting safeties Kyle Dugger’s (ankle/quad) and Jabrill Peppers’s (hamstring) statuses are also in doubt. Peppers was inactive vs. the Bills last week due to his hamstring injury, while Dugger sat out Tuesday’s practice with multiple ailments. Dugger hasn’t played to his usual standard lately, with Coach Mayo acknowledging that the Pats defensive captain is playing through injury. If those two can’t go, undrafted rookie Dell Pettus and S/LB Marte Mapu could step into larger roles, with veteran Jaylinn Hawkins also in the mix.

The Patriots will welcome the Chargers to Gillette Stadium with an upset on their mind. Los Angeles is a 4.5-point favorite on the road, but New England showed better against Buffalo last Sunday. The Pats will now try to stack together two competitive efforts vs. AFC playoff teams, with an eye toward building some confidence heading into the 2025 offseason.

New England hosts the Chargers at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium on Saturday.