Patriots vs. Colts injury analysis: New England escapes Week 9 virtually unscathed

The New England Patriots are entering their bye week on a high note after beating the visiting Indianapolis Colts 26-3 on Sunday. Earning their fifth victory of the season is not the only thing the Patriots can feel good about: they also left the game virtually unscathed.

With that said, let’s take a look at who was either announced as injured or caught our eye after re-watching the game.

Injury analysis

TE Jonnu Smith: The veteran tight end appeared to get a bit banged up after catching a short pass in the third quarter, leaving the field for the rest of that series. Smith eventually returned on the next drive and ended the game with 34 snaps and a 54 percent playing time share.

What this means for the Patriots

Even with Smith briefly leaving the game as the result of what appeared to be a minor issue — if even that — the game against Indianapolis can be filed under: little to report.

This is obviously good news for a Patriots team that has had its fair share of injuries over the first nine weeks of the season. A look at the inactives list for the contest versus the Colts shows the current state of the team; four of the eight players ruled out were dealing with a medical issue heading into the weekend.

Center David Andrews (concussion) and wide receiver DeVante Parker (knee) were both ruled out on Friday, with running back Damien Harris (illness) and defensive tackle Christian Barmore (knee) joining them from the questionables list on Sunday. The bye comes at an opportune time for all four of them, and for other players dealing with injury.

The fact that no new ones appear to have popped up on Sunday is therefore a welcome development.