Free safety Eugene Wilson, arguably the New England Patriots' top coverage defender in their interior secondary, will not play in Sunday afternoon's game against the Indianapolis Colts because of a sprained ankle. The Patriots on Saturday evening downgraded the status of Wilson, along with that of reserve linebacker Eric Alexander, a special teams contributor who has a knee injury. The ankle injury has limited Wilson's practice time in recent weeks. Although Wilson has not started the past three games, his absence is still significant. Wilson would have provided New England a coverage option in defending Indianapolis tight end Dallas Clark, a key target for Peyton Manning in the middle of the field. Wilson is a onetime college cornerback who moved to safety as a rookie in 2003, but whose talents versus the pass lend flexibility to the New England coverage schemes.