Patriot Bryan Stork out vs. Colts

(Photo by Getty Images)

by Dakota Antelman

After missing all three team practices this week, the Patriots officially listed center Bryan Stork as "out" for Sunday's AFC Championship Game vs. the Colts.

Stork injured his knee last week vs. the Ravens and has been a touchy subject for Patriots coaches and players this week. Bill Belichick devoted no time to answering questions on Stork, obviously taking the injury one day at a time.

As soreness apparently persists in Stork's knee though, the team was forced to make the call Friday morning, holding him out of practice and effectively disqualifying him from Sunday's game.

Stork's absence reincarnates what was somewhat of a revolving door on the offensive line a week ago. General speculation from Patriot media outlets suggests that the team will have guard Ryan Wendell playing center while rookie Cameron Fleming and possibly reserve OL, Josh Kline, will get time Wendell's normal place.

Little will be stable on an offensive line that has been grossly unstable at many points during the year.

That being said, of all the weeks for New England to suffer an injury blow to their offensive line as severe as this, this might be the best one. The Colts have one of the weakest pass rushes the Patriots have faced in over a month. In the most telling statistic when rating a pass rush, sacks, the Colts ranked 9th in the NHL this season, tied with the Broncos, Packers, and Vikings with 41.

That is worse or equal to the sacks totals of 7 of the last 9 teams the Patriots have faced this season.

The Patriots face the Colts at 6:40PM on Saturday in Foxboro. Then and there they will try to keep pressure off Tom Brady and, even without Stork, dispatch a Colts team they is heavily favored to beat.