The New England Patriots have started hitting their strides. Winning three games in a row, they again look like one of the best teams in football and a serious contender for a playoff spot in the AFC.
At the same time, however, they continue being followed by some bad injury luck. Their 26-19 win over the New York Jets on Sunday saw multiple players exit with injury, including one — wide receiver Romeo Doubs — who has since been placed on injured reserve and will therefore be out at least four games. Receiver depth is not the only concern, however, as a look at our weekly injury analysis after rewatching the game shows.
Patriots injury analysis: NFL Week 6
WR Romeo Doubs: On the second offensive snap of the day, Doubs was able to get open behind the Jets defense and haul in a 42-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye. However, he came down hard on his shoulder while completing the catch and remained kneeling in the end zone afterwards. He ultimately did get up, but headed straight into the blue medical tent and later the locker room with a shoulder injury. He never returned.
RT Morgan Moses: While most of the initial attention on the unsuccessful deep ball to A.J. Brown in the early second quarter was on the receiver, it quickly shifted to the Patriots’ right tackle. Morgan Moses remained down on the ground. He had pushed Jets pass rusher David Bailey wide, and along the way appears to have awkwardly bended his right foot. The team captain limped off the field and into the medical tent. He later left for the locker room, briefly reemerged, but was ultimately shut down for good.
LG Alijah Vera-Tucker: When the Patriots offense took the field with 1:23 left in the first half, Vera-Tucker was not in the lineup. Instead, the left guard had departed for the locker room with what later was announced as a hamstring injury. He did finish the previous drive, but came up hobbled after a Rhamondre Stevenson run for a loss of 2 yards.
RG Ben Brown: Lining up at left guard in place of the injured Alijah Vera-Tucker, an unsuspecting Brown was rolled up from behind on a Drake Maye scramble early in the fourth quarter. He remained on the ground, with members of the medical staff and head coach Mike Vrabel tending to him on the field. He later had to be helped off the field by two trainers, and into the blue medical tent. The Patriots quickly ruled him out with a knee injury after that.
ED Dre’Mont Jones: Already coming into the game with a shoulder injury, Jones stayed down on the ground after a pass midway through the fourth quarter. He was holding his knee and slow to get up, but did walk off under own power and returned after missing just two plays.
What this means for the Patriots
As noted above, Romeo Doubs’ shoulder injury has since forced the Patriots to move him to injured reserve — another blow to a wide receiver group that has struggled with stability to start the season. He will be out at least until New England’s Week 12 game at the Chargers.
No less concerning is the state of an offensive line that, frankly, is in shambles right now.
After already losing starting right guard Mike Onwenu and his replacement Greg Van Roten in back-to-back weeks, it also saw third-stringer Ben Brown go down. Fourth-string guard Matt Pryor, who was signed off the Cardinals’ practice squad in September, finished the game.
At left guard, Alijah-Vera Tucker looked good to start his Patriots career but is now a question mark as well. With Brown replacing him and subsequently going down as well, third-stringer Walter Rouse played the final 14 snaps at the position.
Then, there is Morgan Moses, who was spotted in a walking boot after the game. First-round rookie Caleb Lomu took his spot in the lineup and for a second straight week looked good in extended action. Lomu, of course, already had to enter the lineup in Week 5 after left tackle Will Campbell had suffered a game-ending knee sprain.
It’s not all bad news, though. For starters, Campbell appears to be fine after his prior injury scare. Likewise, Moses was listed as a limited practice participant on Monday’s injury report. Additionally, only Romeo Doubs was moved to IR on Monday; as of Tuesday morning, Brown and Vera-Tucker remain on the 53-man team despite being assigned the non-participant label on the practice report — a potential positive sign for their long-term availability.
That said, with the Patriots playing the Bears in Chicago on Thursday night, it would not be a surprise if New England was again forced to adapt its starting O-line one way or another.