Is Patriots kicker Nick Folk playing today against the Bills? The 37-year-old veteran said this week that he has no plans to retire and would love to keep kicking. Will he be available when New England faces Buffalo on Wild Card Weekend?
Update 01/15/22: The Patriots announced that Nick Folk is active and will play against the Bills. For the rest of the Patriots’ inactives, make sure to check out our Wild Card Round Inactives.
Is Nick Folk playing tonight vs. the Bills?
Folk has been facing a knee injury and was questionable ahead of the Miami Dolphins game in Week 18. He was active in the end, kicking 1 field goal from 43 yards out. On Thursday, Folk was limited in practice, as he deals with that same knee injury. He is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Bills.
The Patriots go into this game a little beaten up, with injury concerns for many starters. Jakobi Meyers has been battling a thigh injury for multiple weeks. Left tackle Isaiah Wynn did not participate in practice this week and is questionable for the game. Center David Andrews, defensive tackle Christian Barmore, linebacker D’Onta Hightower, and running back Damien Harris were also limited in practice this week.
How has Folk performed so far this season?
Folk has made 36 of 39 field goals this season. The only 3 he missed were from 50+ yards. However, Folk did miss 5 extra-point attempts, which was far from ideal. Overall, he’s been a great kicker for the Patriots, and he received one vote for the AP’s All-Pro team.
Folk has been with the Patriots for three seasons. He also spent time with the Cowboys, Jets, and Buccaneers in his 14 NFL campaigns.
Will weather conditions affect the kicking game?
In Week 13’s infamous Wind Bowl against the Bills, Folk went 2-for-2 on field-goal attempts in a Patriots victory. This weekend, the game-time temperature is expected to be around -11 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s playoff football in the Northeast.
Will the weather conditions worsen before the game? Snow isn’t expected in Buffalo until Sunday night, but could it come earlier? The Patriots will need to rely on their talented rushing attack if that is the case, and Folk could be the difference in the game.