The New England Patriots have plenty to feel good about coming out of their win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Their offense had its best day of the season, quarterback Drake Maye returned to his MVP form, and the defense had Kirk Cousins and the Raiders offense in a blender throughout the day.
However, the Patriots did not have perfect day either. Once again, after all, the injury bug bit them pretty hard.
With that said, here is our weekly injury analysis after rewatching the game.
Patriots injury analysis: NFL Week 5
RB TreVeyon
Henderson: On the very next snap after catching a lateral from teammate Efton Chism in the second quarter, Henderson was tackled from behind on an 11-yard jet sweep. In the process, he suffered an ankle injury that forced him to leave the game and gingerly walk to the locker room. The second-year running back was originally announced as questionable to return and ultimately ruled out.
LT Will Campbell: Just two players after losing Henderson, the Patriots also saw Will Campbell go down. The starting left tackle was rolled up on from behind on a short run, staying down and grabbing his right knee — the same one he hurt last season when he tore his MCL and had to be placed on temporary injured reserve. He exited for the blue medical tent and later the locker room, but reappeared later in the second quarter. Campbell spent time on the sideline and riding a stationary bike. Despite the positive signs, however, he never returned to the game and did not reemerge after halftime.
CB Charles Woods: The Patriots were already down four cornerbacks entering Sunday, and another one got banged up midway through the third quarter. Charles Woods, who had started the game with Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis both absent, remained down on one knee after a tackle for loss. He was labeled as questionable to return with a shoulder injury — he already dealt with a shoulder issue coming into the game — but did eventually make his way back onto the field.
ED Dre’Mont Jones: Jones stayed down after rushing the passer in the fourth quarter. He did not appear to have absorbed any non-standard form of contact, but nonetheless required medical assistance on the field. He eventually got up and walked off the field into the blue medical tent, fist-bumping teammates along the way. The Patriots announced him as questionable to return with a shoulder injury and he was kept out for the remainder of the game.
DT Cory Durden: Durden had his feet tangled up after Raiders running back Dylan Laube’s touchdown in the fourth quarter, but he managed to walk to the bench under his own power. He did miss the ensuing extra point kick, but was back on the field at the next possibility thereafter: blocking on Andy Borregales’ point-after try to cap the Patriots’ next offensive possession.
What this means for the Patriots
Out of the five Patriots to get banged up on Sunday, three are question marks heading into Week 6: Will Campbell, TreVeyon Henderson, and Dre’Mont Jones.
Let’s start with Henderson, whose status was updated on Tuesday morning: he reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain that will keep him out for “multiple weeks” even though the Patriots are optimistic about a reasonably quick return. Still, Henderson being out will put pressure on a New England skill position group already without wideouts A.J. Brown and Mack Hollins. Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner are the top two running backs with Henderson out, with Lan Larison providing extra depth on the practice squad.
As for Campbell and Jones, they are in the TBD category for now. Jones’ injury didn’t appear overly serious when it happened, but that also does not mean his return to the field this week is guaranteed, particularly as far as full capacity is concerned. If he is limited our out versus the New York Jets, Elijah Ponder and Gabe Jacas will likely see an uptick of snaps again.
Campbell, meanwhile, is also expected to miss time after spraining his knee. First-round rookie Caleb Lomu took over and is set to continue lining up at left tackle until the nominal starter is cleared to return. When that happens remains to be seen, especially considering that Mike Vrabel sounded somewhat optimistic when talking about the second-year man on Monday.
Beyond the losses, the Patriots also might be getting some talent back soon: A.J. Brown, who suffered his own high ankle sprain in Week 1 and was subsequently placed on injured reserve, is eligible to return to practice this week. All signs point toward such a return happening sooner rather than later.
The Patriots will be back on the practice fields on Wednesday, starting their on-field preparation for the upcoming game against the Jets.
