Patriots Injury Update After Shutout of Lions: Damien Harris, Nelson Agholor, Jonathan Jones
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots returned to the win column in a big way on ‘Throwback Sunday’ with a 29-0 dismantling of the Detroit Lions at Gillette Stadium.
With the win, New England moves to 2-3 and rookie Bailey Zappe gets the victory in his first NFL start under center.
However, New England may have some personnel losses of the injury variety for which they may need to account heading into Week 6.
Damien Harris
Patriots running back Damien Harris missed the second-half with a hamstring injury. He left the game in the second quarter, and was promptly ruled out for the remainder of the game as the third quarter was beginning.
Harris has appeared in five games for the Patriots and rushed for 246 yards on 53 carries (4.6 YPC) and three touchdowns. Prior to his exit from the contest, Harris had rushed four times for 11 yards.
With rookie Pierre Strong having been a healthy inactive, second-year rusher Rhamondre Stevenson became the Patriots' only available running back against Detroit.
In short, he performed brilliantly.
Stevenson entered the game with 211 rushing yards on 43 carries (4.9 average) and one touchdown. He also had 11 receptions for 57 yards.
While taking on the feature role in Week 5, Stevenson carried the ball 21 times for 138 yards, while adding two catches for 14 yards.
Should Harris’ injury keep him out for an extended period of time, New England will fill the void with Stevenson as their top option, with Strong, and possibly practice squad rookie Kevin Harris in reserve situational roles.
Nelson Agholor
Agholor was forced from the field in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Though the team never officially ruled him out, he remained on the sideline with his helmet off for the entirety of the second half.
In Agholor's absence, fellow wideout Jakobi Meyers stepped up to turn in a solid performance, earning seven catches for 111 yards and one touchdown. Tight end Hunter Henry also broke out of his receiving slump, adding 54 yards on four catches.
Prior to his exit from Sunday's contest, Agholor did not record a catch. Thus far in 2022, he has caught 14 of 18 passes thrown his way for 225 yards. However, his performance over the past two weeks has been overshadowed by drops in key situations, including this week’s bobble which led to Zappe’s lone interception.
Given Agholor’s recent struggles, combined with the recent activation of rookie Tyquan Thornton (who caught two passes for seven yards in his pro debut in Week 5) from injured reserve, Agholor’s health status is likely to draw notable attention in the coming days.
Jonathan Jones
With a hamstring injury continuing to hamper fellow perimeter cornerback Jalen Mills, and rookie Jack Jones still finding his rhythm in the Pats defense, Jonathan Jones has been New England’s top option at the position thus far.
Unfortunately, the Auburn product left the field in the second half with an ankle injury and did not return to action. He did, however, remain on the sidelines, appearing to test his ankle.
Through the Pats first five games, Jones has logged 19 total tackles, two forced fumbles, three passes-defensed and one interception. His speed and field savvy have played a major role in the rebirth of New England’s secondary.
With Jones out of action, New England turned to Mills, as well as the rookie Jones as their perimeter options. The former Arizona State Sun Devil once again performed well in Week 5, earning three tackles and an interception.
Following Sunday’s game, Jones spoke with reporters, indicating that his injury is not likely to be a concern moving forward. When asked specifically about his ankle, Jones responded:
“I’m good, ready to go. I’m excited [for the week ahead.]”
In Week 6, the Pats will once again hit the road for a 1 p.m. matchup on Sunday, Oct. 16 with the Cleveland Browns at First Energy Stadium.
Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL and Listen/Subscribe to his daily podcast: Locked On Patriots
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