The New England Patriots dodged quarterback Sam Darnold the first time they played the New York Jets.
Darnold should be back for the teams' second meeting, but it sounds like he'll be without a key pass-catcher.
Jets tight end Chris Herndon will miss Week 6 with a Grade 1 hamstring strain he suffered while running routes last Friday and "likely" is out for Week 7 when New York hosts the Patriots on "Monday Night Football," NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday.
Herndon just finished serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy and has yet to play in 2019, as the Jets had a bye in Week 4.
The 23-year-old had a productive rookie campaign for New York, catching 39 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns in 2018. His presence would help boost an offense that ranks last in the NFL in passing yards (113.5 per game) and whose leading receiver, Jamison Crowder has just 174 yards through four games.
Those numbers should improve with Darnold taking over for backup Luke Falk, but the young QB likely won't have his top tight end against a Patriots defense that held the Jets' offense scoreless in Week 3.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.