Patriots vs. Rams inactives: Christian Barmore, Yannick Ngakoue make their debut

TheNew England Patriotsdefense will not have all hands on deck in Week 11 against theLos Angeles Rams.However, it will have some big names available that were previously not part of the equation.

The most prominent among them is defensive tackle Christian Barmore. Less than four months after being diagnosed with blood clots, and after practicing just once this week, the 25-year-old will be in the lineup again. Of course, it remains to be seen how big of an impact he will actually have.

“For a guy who hasn’t really put on pads since January, it’s tough,” head coach Jerod Mayo said on Friday. “You never want to just throw a guy out there coming off an injury, regardless of what the injury is, throw him out there for 50 plays. That’s unrealistic. I think we see what he can handle, and we’ll build from there.”

Also making his season debut in a Patriots uniform on Sunday is Yannick Ngakoue. The former Pro Bowl outside linebacker was claimed off waivers last week, and subsequently made inactive versus theChicago Bearsin Week 10. With a full week of preparation, however, he has now been deemed good to go.

The same is true for safety Kyle Dugger. The team captain has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, but he is back to lead the secondary versus a solid Rams offense.

The Patriots’ inactives, meanwhile, look as follows:

Patriots inactives

• S Marte Mapu
• ED Ochaun Mathis
• QB Joe Milton III (emergency QB)
• WR K.J. Osborn
• OL Tyrese Robinson
• DT Jaquelin Roy
• DE Deatrich Wise Jr.

The Patriots having Barmore, Ngakoue and Dugger available is good news considering their absentees on the defensive side of the ball. Up front defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy (neck) and end Deatrich Wise Jr. (foot) have both been made inactive; in the secondary, safety Marte Mapu (neck) has also not been cleared to play.

Another noteworthy inactive is wide receiver K.J. Osborn. After serving as the No. 2 wideout in terms of snaps last week, he was made a healthy scratch versus Los Angeles’ uneven pass defense. He is sharing that designation with edge Ochaun Mathis, quarterback Joe Milton III, and backup offensive lineman Tyrese Robinson.

Meanwhile, four of the Patriots’ questionable players will take the field on Sunday. Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (shoulder), defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale (abdomen) and linebackers Christian Elliss (abdomen) and Sione Takitaki (knee) are good to go despite their recent ailments.

Rams inactives

• QB Stetson Bennett
• T Neville Gallimore
• OT Rob Havenstein
• OL Dylan McMahon
• OT Joe Noteboom
• RB Cody Schrader
• CB Charles Woods

The biggest name among Los Angeles’ inactives is starting right tackle Rob Havenstein, who was already ruled out Friday. Making things worse for the Rams offensive line is the fact that his backup, Joe Noteboom, will also not play versus a revitalized New England pass rush.

Kickoff between the Patriots and Rams at Gillette Stadium is set for 1 p.m. ET. New England is entering the game as 5.5-point underdogs, according to the latest odds provided byFanDuel Sportsbook.