The New England Patriots suffered key injuries in their win over the Bengals. Four players: left tackle Will Campbell, left guard Jared Wilson, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, and special teams ace Brenden Schooler were injured. It was lousy medicine, and one ESPN writer, Ben Solak, has already written them off as an AFC first-seed contender.
He's forgotten one thing: the Patriots have Drake Maye, and he is the great equalizer.
Yet, even with Maye on hand, Patriot Nation can't minimize the importance of those injuries. All of them hurt since all are key contributors. Let's not sugarcoat it; it's not a good thing when you're in a race to take the top regular-season prize.
But while Solak's comments have validity, Patriots fans shouldn't throw in the towel yet. The Patriots have options to plug the holes, especially on the critical offensive line, until the injured guys return. Doomsayers who see this as ending the Patriots' push for the AFC first seed are way premature.
The Patriots' O-line injuries are painful, but they can plug the gaps
Health is a consideration for any NFL team at any time. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game, but they happen. Fortunately, Patriots Head Coach Mike Vrabel is a top NFL personnel evaluator, so take the ESPN commentary with a grain of salt.
ESPN's Ben Solak has written off the Patriots as AFC first seed contenders because of the injuries.
"The Patriots lost the AFC on Sunday. Big, big injury news out of New England. Defensive tackle Milton Williams was already down ... fellow defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga ... left Sunday's game because of a chest injury. Rookie LG Jared Wilson also has a high ankle sprain ... rookie LT Will Campbell has an MCL sprain ... it's hard to see the Patriots keeping pace with the Broncos for the top seed in the AFC... The best playoff teams are often the healthiest, and that's not New England after Sunday."
The answer to Solak's knee-jerk reaction is this: not so fast. Mike Vrabel knows personnel and how to utilize them. He has options on the offensive line, the key concern, that can work. One is a rookie who will surprise.
The Patriots have adequate offensive line depth to protect Drake Maye
The most critical loss against the Bengals was Will Campbell. Yet Vrabel used 2024's starting left tackle, Vederian Lowe, for the rest of the Bengals game as a stopgap. Lowe is a journeyman waiver-wire type. Vrabel's best option is actually a rookie, Marcus Bryant.
Bryant is a left tackle who was a 2025 seventh-round draft pick by the Patriots. Lowe's 2024 performance was dismal. Bryant is the better option. Backing up both tackles was exactly why he was drafted. And his college football pedigree is as a left tackle.
Vrabel needed more than one left tackle in the draft after whiffing in free agency. Campbell was the big prize, but if he got injured, as offensive linemen do, you needed a solid backup. He waited until the last round, but he made a solid choice in experienced left tackle Marcus Bryant.
Steady Ben Brown slotted in to play in place of Wilson at left guard, so the Patriots are covered there. Yet, left tackle is the key, and Bryant is the best option. The massive, 6'7", 320-pound Bryant is just the man to fill Campbell's shoes, and his college career prepared him to do just that.
Bryant started at left tackle for SMU for three seasons before transferring to Missouri. That's Missouri in the SEC, the best conference and NFL-proving ground in college football. Bryant stepped right into the left tackle spot and kept the second-best tackle in the NFL draft after Campbell, Armand Membou (Jets' seventh-pick overall), still playing on the right side.
Your best tackle plays on the left. While Membou is a supreme talent, Bryant's getting the nod to play left tackle was a massive statement. He was clearly an SEC-level left tackle who could be the Tigers' quarterback's top protector. Vrabel should employ Ben Brown and Marcus Bryant to replace his injured offensive linemen. They're his best options to keep winning.