Cyrus Jones has torn his ACL, and he will miss the season for the New England Patriots. The team has already lost Julian Edelman, and I have to wonder how slow they will get by losing these two players. The Patriots are hurting, but they always seem to find someone who can help. I fully expect to be getting a call from Bill Belichick any minute, or he can get a guy from Walmart. I mean, honestly, they are that good at replacing players.
Jones was their best CB
The Patriots have lost their best corner just before the season starts, and it makes me wonder how they will rearrange their defense to accommodate for that.
Someone will be covering a very good receiver every week, but they might not be all that qualified to do so. Someone who is not used to playing that position will have to learn fast, and I imagine they are doing something about it in practice right now. The defense will likely recover, but they are not going 16-0 when giving up those extra points from that side of the field.
Why so many injuries?
There are more injuries than ever in the NFL, and I had to wonder if it is simply the function of a league that is far too strong and fast. Every player is so powerful that they can end someone's season just by hitting them once, and they are all flying across the field at rates that we cannot believe.
The extra injuries are terrible for the league because it reduces the level of play, and it causes problems for their teams because the players have to cope quickly when injuries happen. Losing your best receiver and best cornerback after spending all of last season without the best tight end in football is a bit distressing for the Patriots.
Are they favored still?
Yes, they are. The Patriots are likely still favored to win all their games, and I imagine that the point totals will shift a little bit. Someone who is watching these games will notice that The Patriots are trying to help the side of the field where Cyrus Jones once played, and they should get used to the idea that Jones has probably played his last game as a Patriot.
The Patriots are notorious for giving up on players early, and they are probably looking for their replacements as we speak. When we come back to this article a year from now, those guys will have different jobs.
Be careful
It is time to cut preseason games, reduce practice time, and work on player safety. These injuries will not stop until we figure out what the limits of the human body are in the context of these games.
