A Total Roundup Of Patriots Injuries After Week 2
The Patriots entered the regular season knowing that they would be missing one of their key offensive players – Julian Edelman. During the preseason, Edelman suffered a season-ending ACL tear to his right knee while going against the Detroit Lions. With the wide receiver leading New England with 98 catches for 1106 yards last season, the Patriots will need to find someone else to step up.
This was not the only early injury for the New England Patriots, as cornerback Cyrus Jones also went down during the preseason. Jones endured a torn ACL and partially torn meniscus during the first half of an exhibition game against the New York Giants. The 23-year-old will be out for the season, resulting in the Patriots needing a punt returner in addition to WR.
After Week 1, this injury list only continued to grow as the defending Super Bowl Champs started the regular season. During Week 1’s matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, wide receiver Danny Amendola was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a head injury. Later ruled as Amendola’s third concussion of his career, the player is also dealing with a prior knee injury. Both of these factors led to Amendola being on the inactive list during Week 2.
Dont’a Hightower was already in rough shape during the start of training camp, and he did not fare well during the Patriots’ defeat against the Chiefs. During the third quarter, Chiefs offensive lineman Mitch Morse fell on Hightower’s right leg, causing a minor MCL sprain. The 27-year-old did not play in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints.
Patriots Injuries After Week 2
Luckily, none of the Patriots suffered season-altering injuries during the Week 2 game against the Saints. There were, however, a few key players moved to “questionable” status as the matchup progressed.
First was cornerback Eric Rowe, who suffered a groin injury in the opening of the third quarter. He visited the medical tent before returning to the sidelines. This gave Jonathan Jones more opportunities to play, where he was able to make several pivotal plays.
Patriots running back Rex Burkhead caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady, which was the Patriots’ first of the day. However by the second half of the game, Burkhead was out with a rib injury and was reported as questionable to return.
Receiver Chris Hogan was clearly banged up during the match against the New Orleans Saints, however his injuries remained unclear. He left and re-entered Sunday’s game several times, though never for an extended amount of time. In the second quarter, he appeared to hurt his hand while in the third quarter Hogan was limping and was eventually seen having his right knee stretched by trainers. Hogan maintains that he is fine.
The end of the second half saw tight end Rob Gronkowski taking a trip to the blue tent. Gronk suffered a groin injury on his final, 21-yard reception during the third quarter of the game. The injury does not appear to be serious at this time.
Closing out the Week 2 injuries for the New England Patriots was wide receiver Phillip Dorsett. He went to the Patriots’ medical tent after sustaining a knee injury toward the end of the fourth quarter.
New England Patriots Week 3 Predictions
The opening couple weeks of football have brought highs and lows for the Patriots. The Pats put on a dismal performance during their season opener against the Kanas City Chiefs, with the final result being 47-27. Still, both loyal fans and naysayers know that you should never count the Patriots out. The team came back full force in Week 2 against the Saints, with Tom Brady throwing three touchdowns in the first quarter of the game. Even with the loss of essential players and a slew of other injuries, New England is still a winning team.
SportsBettingStates.com noticed the betting odds for the New England Patriots at online sportsbooks have the Pats winning against the Houston Texans in Week 3. Though the Texans defense has shown some promise where the Patriots’ offense has shown vulnerabilities, New England is predicted to win the matchup and also cover the 13-point spread.