Right guard Mike Onwenu was carted off the field today with a right ankle injury for the New England Patriots, and it happened right in the middle of their second scoring drive against the Steelers. Man, talk about a gut punch. Even though New England jumped out to a 10-0 lead, this injury is a brutal blow, and the team wasted no time ruling him out for the rest of the game.
Early Lead Overshadowed By Injury Disaster
Onwenu’s loss is huge. The guy has been a rock for the Patriots’ offense, starting all 17 games the last two seasons and bringing that consistent presence you absolutely need up front. Losing him so early, especially with a right ankle injury serious enough to get him carted off, that’s just a nightmare scenario. You can have all the early momentum in the world, but if your key guys are going down, what does it really mean for the rest of the game?
Yeah, the Patriots had a pretty sweet start on the scoreboard. TreVeyon Henderson punched in a 39-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to make it 7-0, and then Andy Borregales nailed a 30-yard field goal early in the second quarter to push it to 10-0. Great plays, for sure. But the energy around that 10-0 lead has to feel totally different now. It’s tough to celebrate points when you see one of your most consistent players getting loaded onto the cart.
What’s Next for the Patriots Offense?
With Onwenu out for the rest of today’s game, the Patriots’ offensive line is suddenly facing a big question mark. His consistency is what makes this such a problem, and for him to be ruled out within minutes? That tells you everything you need to know about the severity. They got the score, they got the lead, but the cost feels steep. It’s a rough day in New England, and you gotta wonder how much this will shift things for the rest of their matchup against the Steelers.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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