The New England Patriots’ third game of the 2026 season was an abject disaster. The offense was all sort out of sync, the defense played its worst football in two years, and special teams didn’t make many positive contributions either.
To make matters worse, the team sustained multiple injuries. While not quite as dramatic as the Week 2 win over Pittsburgh, the 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars was still a bad one from a health perspective. For a 1-2 team already reeling, the hits just keep coming.
Patriots injury analysis: NFL Week 3
RT Morgan Moses: The veteran right tackle was a limited participant in practice all week but eventually made the trip to Jacksonville without a game designation. That said, he did not look his best on the field from the first drive on. Moses hobbled on several occasions and was pulled from the game for rookie Caleb Lomu in the late third quarter.
CB Christian Gonzalez: The Patriots’ best player had his shoulder checked out after a physical third-down tackle in the first quarter. No injury was announced by the team and no time missed by Gonzalez.
C Jared Wilson: Wilson played all 51 snaps alongside quarterback Drake Maye, and he did so despite suffering a cut on his right middle finger early in the game — the second time an injury like that happened this season after Week 1 versus Seattle. According to Maye, the bleeding might have contributed to his fumble in the first quarter.
DT Christian Barmore: Barmore was announced as questionable to return early in the second quarter and did leave for the locker room due to a shoulder issue. He did return to the sideline shortly thereafter and reentered the game later during that period without showing any obvious limitations.
RG Greg Van Roten: Already starting in place of an injured Mike Onwenu, the Patriots’ right guard was slow to get up after a third-down play in the second quarter. He headed into the blue medical tent to have his thigh checked out and was announced as questionable to return. He never did, with third-stringer Walter Rouse finishing the contest in Van Roten’s place.
CB Carlton Davis III: Making his comeback after missing the previous game with a neck injury, Davis remained down on one knee after a sideline tackle in the third quarter. He was checked out by the training staff, but walked off under his own power and into the medical tent. He eventually returned on the next series after missing a total of five defensive plays.
LT Will Campbell: One of the few Patriots to perform at an adequate level on Sunday, Campbell was slow to get up after a short run in the late fourth quarter. He limped back to the huddle, stayed in the game, and finished with a 100% playing time share and no injury ever being announced.
OL Ben Brown: One play after Campbell, Ben Brown showed some discomfort following a short catch-and-run. The backup center also remained in the contest and showed no obvious limitations before the final whistle.
What this means for the Patriots
If we look at the Jaguars game and the Patriots’ injury situation coming out of it from a “glass half full” perspective, we can say that only one player — Greg Van Roten — was truly unable to finish the contest. The others suffered some bumps and bruises, but seemingly nothing that should be considered a long-term concern.
However, where there is a glass half full, there also is a glass half empty. And if we use that point of view, we see a Patriots team that a) saw even more players get banged up, and b) is now down to its third-string right guard.
After Mike Onwenu was lost to a fractured ankle in Week 2, Week 3 saw his replacement leave before the half only to be replaced by a late-August trade pickup who had played zero regular season snaps at the position since entering the NFL in 2024. Walter Rouse very well might turn into a serviceable player at some point, but the progression from Onwenu, to Van Roten, to him is still one downgrade after the other.
Maybe Van Roten will be able to get back in time for the upcoming game against the Buffalo Bills. Even so, the right guard spot — and the right side of the O-line in general given Morgan Moses’ own issues — is a problem right now.
The first indication of may or may not be available for Week 4 will come on Wednesday, first at practice and then via the injury report. The Patriots will visit the 3-0 Bills on Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
