Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had a full house to instruct at practice Thursday.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel had a full house to instruct at practice Thursday.Barry Chin/Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH — As the weekend comes into focus, it appears the Patriots are closer to getting completely healthy.
New England had perfect attendance at practice Thursday, marking the second consecutive day that wide receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) and linebacker Christian Elliss (hip) were full participants. Meanwhile, running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) was limited for the second straight day.
While there’s time between now and Sunday’s kickoff against the Bengals, their increased visibility in the locker room ― Stevenson addressed the media before Wednesday’s practice ― and improved practice status certainly suggests they are trending in the right direction for a potential return to action against the Bengals.
Boutte and Ellis have missed the last two-plus weeks after suffering injuries during a win against the Falcons Nov. 2. Stevenson has been on the shelf for the last three games.
Stevenson was the only Patriots player who was limited. In addition to Boutte and Elliss, New England had 10 players classified as full participants: defensive tackle Christian Barmore (not injury related), linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson, defensive lineman Joshua Farmer, tight end Austin Hooper (concussion), running back Terrell Jennings (knee), linebacker Harold Landry III (knee), offensive tackle Morgan Moses (not injury related), and linebacker Jahlani Tavai (not injury related.)
As for the Bengals, quarterback Joe Burrow sparked some optimism in Cincinnati on Thursday, as he was a full participant for the second consecutive day at practice.
The 28-year-old Burrow underwent toe surgery on Sept. 19 following the Bengals’ Week 2 win over the Jaguars. Veteran Joe Flacco, who has started the last five games for Cincinnati, has been a limited participant for two straight days because of a right shoulder injury.
Bengals coach Zac Taylor told WLW-AM Radio that he’s “not there yet” when it comes to making a decision as to who might start against New England on Sunday.
“I wish I had that decision today,” he said. “I’m going to take in all the information I can and make sure it’s the best one for Joe and our team, and we’ll go from there.”
According to reports, Burrow took first-team snaps with starter Ted Karras, while Flacco was spotted working with backup Lucas Patrick. Wide receiver Tee Higgins sounded like a man who was impressed by the work of Burrow, but he said Thursday he wasn’t sure if Burrow was good to go.
“I don’t know. When I asked him (Wednesday), he just looked at me like this,” said Higgins, offering a blank look. “I don’t know what that meant. I guess only he knows.
“He’s practicing like he did week one,” Higgins added. “I don’t know what that look meant, but I assume it’s good. He’s slinging it. Deep. Short routes. It’s all been pretty good.”
When it comes to the Patriots, they’re preparing for anything.
“Flacco is a great quarterback. Burrow is a great quarterback. Somewhat similar styles in how they operate,” said Patriots defensive play caller Zak Kuhr. “Obviously, they have different physical features to them. As far as game planning and all that, I don’t think much changes. They operate the same system.”
Praising Maye
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels praised quarterback Drake Maye Thursday for continuing to grow as a leader, both on and off the field, saying it ties back to his growing confidence.
“He was very well aware of his standing, but he also wanted to go out there and win and bring that along with him,” McDaniels said. Maye heads into the weekend in the top 5 of most major categories, including passing yards, completion rate, passer rating, and passing touchdowns.
“I think it’s easier to lead when you’ve had success and you’ve been a significant contributor to that,” McDaniels added. “Everybody knew he was the quarterback. Everybody loved his personality, and he’s got incredible character and relationships around the building. I think he wanted to be patient enough with that to try and have some success, so he could really step forward as a leader. He’s done that.
“I think you can tell by his confidence, the way he speaks to other guys in terms of trying to work together to improve some aspect of our offense. His volume ― you can always tell when a guy is really confident and really pushing because you can hear him. He leads in the huddle. He leads out of the huddle. He leads on the sideline in between practices.”
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social.