The New England Patriots just got absolutely rocked in Week 3, taking a brutal 35-6 loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and honestly, the scoreboard was only half the pain. For a 1-2 squad that’s already reeling early in the season, what really stings is the laundry list of injuries that piled up during a game where the offense looked totally out of sync, the defense played its worst football in two years, and special teams hardly made a positive contribution. Dude, the hits just keep coming for this team.
Offensive Line Meltdown and a Bloody Finger
Seriously, the offensive line felt like a revolving door of bad news. Veteran right tackle Morgan Moses, who was already a limited participant in practice all week, hobbled off the field in the late third quarter and was pulled for rookie Caleb Lomu. You could see from the first drive that he just wasn’t looking his best out there. Then there’s center Jared Wilson. The guy played all 51 snaps alongside quarterback Drake Maye, which is tough, but he did it despite suffering a cut on his right middle finger early in the game. Get this, it’s the second time that’s happened this season, with the first being in Week 1 against Seattle! Maye even thinks that bleeding finger might’ve contributed to Wilson’s fumble in the first quarter. Talk about adding insult to injury.
And the hits kept coming. Right guard Greg Van Roten, who was already stepping in for an injured Mike Onwenu, was slow to get up after a second-quarter play. He had to head to the medical tent to get his thigh checked out and was announced as questionable to return. He never did, with third-stringer Walter Rouse finishing the game in his spot. Even left tackle Will Campbell, one of the few Patriots playing at an adequate level, limped back to the huddle late in the fourth after a short run. He stayed in, finished with 100% playing time, but man, you gotta wonder. One play later, backup center Ben Brown showed discomfort after a short catch-and-run but also stayed in without obvious limitations. It’s just a mess.
Defensive Scares: Shoulders, Necks, and Quick Returns
The defense definitely had its share of scares too, even if some guys made it back on the field. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who’s honestly their best player, had his shoulder checked out after a physical third-down tackle in the first quarter. Luckily, no injury was announced by the team and he didn’t miss any time. Then there’s defensive tackle Christian Barmore. He was announced as questionable to return early in the second quarter with a shoulder issue and actually left for the locker room. But credit to him, he returned to the sideline pretty quick and reentered the game later in that same period without showing any obvious limitations.
Cornerback Carlton Davis III, who was making his comeback after missing the previous game with a neck injury, remained down on one knee after a third-quarter sideline tackle. You just hate to see it when a guy is returning from one injury. He got checked out by the training staff and walked off under his own power into the medical tent. He eventually returned on the next series after missing five defensive plays. It’s good they came back, but these kinds of scares during a blow-out loss? Not a good look, not at all.
This 1-2 start is a brutal punch to the gut, and with injuries piling up like this, the hits just keep coming for the Patriots. Fans have to be wondering how much more this team can take. They’re already looking for answers, and they need them fast if they want to turn this season around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
Leave a Reply