Patriots defender's second-half injury already proving costly vs. Bills

The New England Patriots began their game against the Buffalo Bills on absolute fire and put on a first-half show reminiscent of the dynasty years. It was exactly the kind of start to a hat-and-t-shirt game they needed, and they went into halftime with a lot of momentum.

Unfortunately, the special teams, which have been the best and most consistent unit for much of the season, made sure some of that momentum swung in the Bills' favor. With poor tackling and costly turnovers, their opponents started two drives at midfield, both of which ended in touchdowns.

As if that weren't bad enough, in the third quarter, the defense started to show some cracks after a stout first half. It was a concerning development that only became more problematic, seeing CB Carlton Davis III not on the field, and Josh Palmer wasn't doing a great job filling in for him.

The superstar cornerback was then seen leaving the blue medical tent for the locker room, and it didn't take long for the team to reveal his injury status, which isn't what the defense needs, as the Bills make it an actual ball game.

The Patriots defense lose a big contributor, as Carlton Davis exits the game

The latest update from the Patriots on Davis is that he suffered a groin injury and is questionable to return to today's matchup.

It's a huge loss for a defense that has fallen apart in the second half.

This could become a huge factor in the Bills' efforts to take over the game for the first time on Sunday, as they now have an opportunity to exploit a hole in the secondary, which will only make things even easier for Josh Allen.

The rest of the cornerbacks will have to step up in his place and not let the game get away from them, particularly with Davis' availability for the rest of the game up in the air.