The New England Patriots did not just improve their record to 2-1, they also were able to come out of their 36-20 victory over the visiting Las Vegas Raiders without any major-looking injuries. In fact, no injury updates were announced by the club during the game for a third straight week while only a handful of players appeared to either get shaken up at one point or to possibly be dealing with some minor ailments heading into the new week.
With that said, let’s take a look at three players who did catch the eye at one point yesterday.
Injury analysis
OT Isaiah Wynn: After going wire-to-wire in the Patriots’ first two games of the season, Wynn had to watch rookie Justin Herron take his left tackle spot on the opening drive of the third quarter. Wynn did return after the seven-play series and finished the game with 59 offensive snaps out of a possible 69, but his short absence was still noteworthy considering a) that he was listed on last week’s injury reports due to a calf injury and b) his injury history. The issue does not appear to be a major one, though, because Wynn would likely not have finished the game otherwise.
CB Justin Bethel: Justin Bethel finished Sunday’s game with 22 special teams snaps. There was a quick moment in the third quarter, however, when he appeared to be shaken up a bit after getting blindsided on a punt coverage play. The veteran stayed in the game, though, and also made one of the Patriots’ biggest plays the following quarter: he tackled Las Vegas kickoff returner Rico Gafford after a short runback, to set up a New England defensive touchdown on the very next play. Long story short, Bethel appeared to be fine.
S Cody Davis: The only Patriot who suffered an obvious injury on Sunday is core special teamer Cody Davis. While in the process of recovering the game-ending onside kick late in the fourth quarter, he was hit hard in the ribs by Raiders cornerback Trayvon Mullen. Davis held onto the football, but he remained on the ground after the hit and had to be attended by New England’s medical staff. That said, he did get up again and eventually walked off the field under his own power. Don’t be surprise, however, if Davis pops up on this week’s injury report.
What this means for the Patriots
The Patriots do have a comparatively long list of players on injured reserve, but they can still feel good about where they are standing at the moment. Not only are the first four players (Yodny Cajuste, Damien Harris, Gunner Olszewski, Beau Allen) eligible to come back off IR again this week, the team also seems to be in a good overall shape coming out of its third game of the regular season.
The first injury report of the week, which will be released on Wednesday afternoon, will create a clearer picture. But while the injury statuses especially of Isaiah Wynn and Cody Davis will be worth watching, the active roster on the whole appears to be a pretty healthy one at the moment.