What happened: Gonzalez is New England's top outside corner, while Barmore starts on the interior defensive line. Vrabel delivered the update Friday as the club finalized its Week 4 plan for Buffalo.

Why it matters: New England enters Week 4 at 1-2, so losing two defensive regulars raises the degree of difficulty in a divisional road game. The absences hit two core spots on defense: coverage on the boundary and push up the middle.

What to watch: The final practice report will show whether any other defenders carry game-status tags into Sunday. Buffalo will test how the Patriots redistribute snaps at corner and along the interior front.