The injuries along the New England Patriots’ offensive line piled up in Sunday’s 26-16 win over the New York Jets.
After offensive tackle Morgan Moses suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter, New England went on to lose both starting guards, Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) and Ben Brown (knee).
Despite having three backups play significant snaps, quarterback Drake Maye was hit just four times and was not sacked in the victory.
“Those guys are doing a heck of a job in there,” Maye said post game. “Coach Doug and Coach Haas, I think they have, they’re coaching them hard. They’re expecting a lot in practice, and those guys are playing through injuries. We got three go down today, so these guys are fighting hard. They’re fighting their butts off, and it goes through them.”
With the game still within one score in the fourth quarter, New England leaned on its makeshift offensive line to help close out the win.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels dialed up nine consecutive run plays on a drive that consumed more than six minutes and extended the Patriots’ lead to 10 points.
“That last drive running the football, you all got the best seat in the house. It was beautiful to see,” Maye said. “I think the more we can do that, the more we can just gel together as offense and lean on that.”
With Moses sidelined, rookie Caleb Lomu played 60 snaps in relief. The first-round pick did not allow a single pressure.
At guard, the Patriots called upon Matt Pryor (46 snaps) and Walter Rouse (14), neither of whom spent training camp with the team.
“I think that’s just those guys were ready for their opportunity, and it was great to see,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “I just, you never know what’s going to happen in this league, and we talk about it all the time, preparing for the journey. When guys get their chance, they go in there and perform. I hate that we don’t have the guys. I hate when guys get injured, but I also understand that on the other side of that, there’s an opportunity.”
The Patriots now face a quick turnaround, traveling to Chicago for a Thursday night matchup against the Bears.
Vrabel noted the challenge of getting players who did not finish Sunday’s game ready to return on a short week. Moses was seen wearing a walking boot on his right foot in the postgame locker room, while Brown left with a noticeable limp.
That will likely lead to another opportunity for New England’s depth lineman.
“You never want to see [injuries]. It’s terrible to see. It does happen, unfortunately, in this league,” Lomu said. “Everyone’s got to prepare like a starter for those types of things that happen. We had a lot of guys that stepped up today, which is really good.”