In the short term, this was a nice win on Sunday. The Patriots were shorthanded along the offensive line but still gained 461 yards (including 162 on the ground), won by more than three touchdowns, and improved to 8-0. But the 70,000 fans in the stands sure didn’t feel like celebrating after the game.
The Patriots lost yet another offensive lineman when Sebastian Vollmer went out with a head injury in the first half. And the offense may have suffered a big blow when electric running back Dion Lewis went down with a knee injury in the third quarter (severity unknown).
The Patriots finished with only five healthy offensive linemen and Brandon Bolden catching passes out of the backfield. The Patriots are unstoppable when healthy, but these injuries could be hurtful for the big