The Patriots’ strong opening against the Raiders took an ugly turn when two offensive players went down, with Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson both leaving with injuries.
Campbell’s situation drew immediate concern. “The Patriots medical staff is paying close attention to Will Campbell's right knee. He's walking off the field with some help,” Mark Daniels of MassLive wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Caleb Lomu replaced Campbell, and the Patriots may need him to finish the game.
Henderson was hurt later, and both players were listed as questionable to return. The expectation is that neither injury is serious, but New England was clearly hoping to avoid losing more bodies on offense.
That has been a constant issue for the Patriots. Their run of offensive injuries began in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks, when A.J.
Brown injured his ankle. Brown still hasn’t returned, though there is a chance he could be back in the coming weeks.
Henderson’s own availability has been shaky as well. He missed the first week of the season, and even when he’s been on the field, he hasn’t given the Patriots much juice. He and Rhamondre Stevenson have split the workload, and Stevenson has been the more productive back, including a touchdown against the Raiders.
Campbell’s injury sting lands especially hard because he has looked like a different player early this season. In his second year, he has drawn less criticism than he did during his rookie year, and it appears he may have put in extra work during the offseason to clean things up. For the Patriots, that progress had been one of the more encouraging developments.
In Other News...
Patriots Offense Just Put More Pressure On Drake Maye
The Patriots offense took another hit heading into a pivotal stretch, with New England adjusting its lineup as it prepares for a Week 5 meeting with the Raiders. Sitting at 2-2, the team is trying to stabilize a unit that has already been forced to adapt early in the season, and the timing matters with another game against the Bears coming up on Oct. 22.
Reggie Gilliam and Mack Hollins are both out of the picture for now, which narrows the options around Drake Maye and puts more on his plate in a matchup where the offense could use a clean, organized showing. For a Patriots team still searching for rhythm, the next couple of weeks will say plenty about how well it can absorb roster changes without losing ground. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Need An Unlikely Answer To A Growing Offensive Concern
Mack Hollins has become a growing concern for the Patriots this week after missing consecutive practices with a calf injury, putting his status for Sunday against the Raiders in doubt. With A.J. Brown still on injured reserve, New Englands margin for error at receiver is getting thinner, and the team may need to lean harder on whatever options are available to keep the passing game functional.
One of those options could be Eli Raridon, who took a season-high 44 snaps last week and has been productive in limited chances. He is healthy for the upcoming game after working through a thigh issue earlier, and he even lined up wide on five of his 23 pass snaps against Buffalo, a hint that the Patriots could ask him to stretch beyond his usual role if Hollins is unavailable. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Secondary Suddenly Faces A Depth Test They Couldn't Avoid
The Patriots secondary is heading into Week 5 with plenty of uncertainty, and Charles Woods is part of the reason there is at least a little relief on the injury front. Woods had been listed questionable with a shoulder issue, but he has been cleared to play, giving New England one more body to work with as it prepares for the Raiders.
Even with that bit of good news, the picture remains thin. New England ruled out four cornerbacks and will be without Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, along with backups Channing Canada and Karon Prunty, leaving the defense to patch together a depth chart against a Las Vegas group that wont have receiver Jalen Nailor but does have Ashton Jeanty available. [Read more 🡒]