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Allen is expected to start at tight end and handle most of the snaps at the position Sunday against the Bears with both Rob Gronkowski (back/ankle) and Jacob Hollister (hamstring) ruled out for the contest, Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com reports.
The Patriots didn't make any roster moves in advance of the game to compensate for the absences of Gronkowski and Hollister, so Allen will be the team's only healthy tight end in Week 7. Gronkowski has been averaging 5.8 targets per game this season, but it seems rather unlikely that Allen will see that kind of involvement in the passing game, as the Patriots have preferred to use him largely as a blocker during his time with the club. During the two games Gronkowski missed in 2017, Allen logged a combined 106 offensive snaps but made only two receptions for 10 yards.
