Analyzing the Patriots’ injury situation after their 10-7 AFC Championship win over the Broncos.
The New England Patriots’ 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship may not have been the prettiest game of the NFL season, but it doesn’t matter. A win is a win, and this particular one allows the Patriots to return to the Super Bowl after a six-year absence.
The victory is not the only thing the team can feel good about coming out of Sunday. The Patriots also seem to have avoided any substantial injuries along the way — or have they? After all, there has been some online speculation following the game that starting quarterback Drake Maye may have sustained a right shoulder injury.
Let’s assess both his and the team’s overall injury status after rewatching the game and based on the information we have available as of Tuesday morning.
Patriots injury analysis: AFC Championship Game
LB Robert Spillane: The Patriots’ defensive signal caller remained on the ground after making a tackle on a short run with 3:37 left in the first quarter, and slammed his helmet in frustration afterwards. He eventually walked off the field under his own power, but went straight into the blue medical tent for further evaluation. Spillane eventually departed for the locker room and was announced as questionable to return to the contest because of an ankle injury. However, he reemerged in the second period and tried out his ankle on the sideline. Ultimately, though, he never reentered the game.
QB Drake Maye: New England’s starting quarterback found himself under substantial pressure against the Broncos’ top-tier pass rush, and ended up absorbing five sacks, seven hits, and four tackles on rushing attempts. On one of those, the supposed shoulder injury happened: with 3:46 to go in the third quarter, Maye scrambled up the middle and was taken down by safety Talanoa Hufanga. He landed on his right throwing shoulder, and his hand indeed went up to it immediately; he very well could have just been adjusting his shoulder pads, though, because he also did the same on the left afterwards. All of that is speculation, of course. What we do know is that Maye stayed in the game and did not show any unexpected signs of discomfort despite taking another hit and tackle later in the game. He also completed a 31-yards pass just two plays after the play in question.
What this means for the Patriots
The two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl are traditionally filled with speculation, rumors and storylines that very well may turn out to be inconsequential for the outcome of the game. Drake Maye’s supposed shoulder injury is a candidate to fall into all those categories as well.
Obviously, time will tell what exactly happened and whether there is cause for concern. The 23-year-old himself, however, did not sound overly worried during his postgame presser.
“Got some bumps and bruises, but, hey, that’s what it takes,” he said. “I think a lot of those guys in that locker room are battling through things, and I think at the same time the best thing about it is we get another chance at it. Another chance to get healthy — two weeks and we’ll go into some nicer weather, knock on some wood. We’ll see. But a chance to go win the Super Bowl. I mean that’s what it is. That’s pretty cool.”
As for Robert Spillane, he previously missed four games because of an ankle injury, meaning that his situation is one worth monitoring as well. However, the fact that he was allowed to return to the sideline and possible return to the game if the situation had called for it can be interpreted as a positive sign.
Ultimately, however, we will have to wait for more information to come out. Some might come on Tuesday via head coach Mike Vrabel; some might come on Thursday when the team returns to practice.
The first injury report of Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks, meanwhile, will be released next Wednesday.
Category: General Sports
