At first glance, the New England Patriots’ Week 3 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers was a debacle; turning the ball over five times en route to a 21-14 defeat is simply bad football. However, not all was as underwhelming as the final score and stat sheet suggest.
For starters, the Patriots seemingly avoided any major injuries. Let’s assess the damage after re-watching the game.
Patriots injury analysis: Week 3
QB Drake Maye: Facing a 1st-and-goal in the late second quarter, Steelers edge rushers Nick Herbig and T.J. Watt were both
able to get into the backfield on a busted play. While Maye managed to get rid of the ball before they reached him, the duo did take him down. Along the way, he hit his head on the turf and grabbed his helmet shortly thereafter. However, the sophomore QB got up quickly in an attempt not to get singled out by the NFL’s concussion spotter. He indeed remained in the game and ended up playing all 74 offensive snaps.
TE Hunter Henry: The Patriots’ first possession of the second half, preceded by a Robert Spillane interception, started with a 9-yard pass from Maye to Henry. Unfortunately for the veteran tight end, Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen landed on his left leg while making the tackle, forcing Henry to go down on one knee after taking a few steps away from the play. He eventually left the field under his own power and after a brief trip to the blue medical tent emerged with his helmet on. He missed four plays before returning later in the third quarter.
LG Jared Wilson: In an attempt to move the sticks on a 4th-and-1 in the late third period, running back TreVeyon Henderson took a dive forward that ended in the lower legs of fellow rookie Jared Wilson. The Patriots’ starting left guard was slow to get up after the accidental collision, but after a few ginger steps found his way back to the huddle. Wilson did not miss any time due to the apparent stinger.
What this means for the Patriots
Anytime three of the team’s most important players, including starting quarterback Drake Maye, are on this list, the alarm bells go off. At least based on the remainder of the game and its immediate aftermath, however, it seems like New England was able to dodge some bullets.
Obviously, that does not mean there might not be any lingering effects of the injuries. Possible concussion symptoms can emerge the next day, while the severity of lower-body injuries like the ones suffered by Hunter Henry and Jared Wilson might only become visible after the adrenalin has worn off. That said, it appears all three will be good to go heading into Week 4. Henry and Maye, for example, were made available for media appearances on Monday, which is always a good sign.
The Patriots’ first practice of the week and subsequent injury report will give us a clearer picture, though. The team is set to return to work on Wednesday, with the firsts practice list released later that day.
New England’s Week 4 game against the visiting Carolina Panthers will be kicked off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 28.
