The New England Patriots defeated the visiting Miami Dolphins 35-17 yesterday but in the process of doing so suffered multiple injuries. The first of which came on the game's opening drive, when Patriots special teams ace Nate Ebner carried the ball on a fake punt. Ebner stayed on the ground following his 14-yard run and quickly went to the locker room.
And if a recent report by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo holds true, this will be the last we have seen from Ebner this year:
#Patriots key special teamer Nate Ebner suffered a knee injury on a fake punt that is believed to be season-ending, per @MikeGarafolo and me. He has an MRI today to confirm his fate.
Losing Ebner would be a big blow to New England's special teams units. The 28-year old is used on all four kicking game groups and leads the Patriots with eight special teams tackles. Replacing him, naturally, will not be a one-man job. Instead, the Patriots will likely rely on their proven players – Brandon King, Jonathan Jones, Matthew Slater – to fill the hole Ebner's injury creates.