FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When New England Patriots starting left tackle Nate Solder hobbled off at halftime of Sunday's regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills, it was easy to fear the worst. Solder was ruled out for the rest of the game with a knee injury and his availability for the playoffs then came into question.

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But barring something unexpected, Solder's injury shouldn't keep him out of action.

"I practiced this week and I'll be full practice next week. Everything I'm doing is preparing and doing everything I can, and I'll be ready to go when the game comes," Solder said Thursday.

This marked the first time Solder was available to reporters since the season finale, and he held two one-on-one interviews in the locker room following morning meetings. Naturally, he's looking forward to the playoffs.

"This is awesome, an exciting time of year. There is added excitement, energy and urgency and that's the fun part of all this," he said. "Everyone has worked so hard to get this point and all the teams are good. You have to play well to continue and we have a huge game in front of us. It's going to take everything we've got."

The Patriots' offensive line has been inconsistent in recent weeks, but one thing that could help is the return of starting left guard Dan Connolly, who has missed the last two games with a knee injury. Also, starting right tackle Sebastian Vollmer was held out of the finale to rest his back, but both have been participating in practice this week.

For Solder, the expected return of Connolly directly affects him because the two line up next to each other.

"Dan is such a smart guy, and he has tons of experience," Solder said. "I'm always excited to play next to him."