FOXBORO -- Will all the praise of Khalil Mack be for naught? Day after day this week, whether it's Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels or Rob Gronkowski, the Patriots have heaped compliments on the Bears pass-rusher, and now it's looking like he may not play.
For the second straight day, Mack sat out of Bears practice with an ankle issue. The Bears will have one more practice Friday in advance of Sunday's game with the Patriots. His coach, Matt Nagy, has described him as day-to-day.
Should Mack miss the game, the Bears would be without their top-flight pass-rusher. He's one of the best in football, particularly when paired with a front in Chicago that allows him to better accentuate his talents. It's harder to devote everal pairs of eyes to Mack when players like Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman are having strong seasons.
If there's not a significant amount of healing that occurs over the course of the next few days, the matchup on the offensive right side for the Patriots could look totally different. That's where Mack typically lines up, and it's where Marcus Cannon has played 276 snaps this year. Cannon missed his second straight day of practice on Thursday due to a concussion.
Should Cannon be forced to miss time, then LaAdrian Waddle -- who matched up with Mack for the majority of the Patriots Raiders matchup last season in Mexico City -- would likely get the starting nod on the right side.
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