Stephon Gilmore Among 8 Patriots Players to Miss Practice with Flu-Like Illness

The New England Patriots had eight players miss the team's Wednesday practice with flu-like symptoms, per ESPN's Mike Reiss.

Reiss listed cornerback Stephon Gilmore, safety Patrick Chung, linebackers Jamie Collins Sr. and Dont'a Hightower, and left tackle Isaiah Wynn. Offensive tackle Marcus Cannon was limited in practice because of illness.

"We had guys come in, you'd look in their eyes and you could just tell they were out of it," safety Devin McCourty said. "Hopefully a day at home, with meds and rest, [will] helps guys out."

"We obviously have the flu bug going around, but wash your hands and keep washing your hands and you'll be all right," safety Duron Harmon added.

The good news is the Patriots have four days to rest up and get healthy for their next contest at the Houston Texans on Sunday at 8:20 p.m. ET.

The bad news is the 7-4 Texans (4-1 at home) will present a much tougher matchup if the Pats defense finds itself short-handed against quarterback Deshaun Watson and wideout DeAndre Hopkins, two of the best at their positions in the game.

This is an important matchup for the Pats, who are just one game ahead of the 9-2 Baltimore Ravens for first in the AFC.

The Ravens have the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand, though, so a Pats loss to the Texans and a Baltimore win over the San Francisco 49ers will push New England to the No. 2 spot with four games left.

Caesars Sportsbook lists New England as a three-point favorite.