The New England Patriots managed to break their two-game losing streak with a win over the Houston Texans in Week 14, but injuries are still a major issue for the team. The Patriots were happy to get Rob Gronkowski back on the field while Julian Edelman returned to practice with the team. However, the win over the Texans saw LeGarrette Blount go down and now his health is a mystery.
According to ESPN.com, Blount went down with a hip injury during the win over Houston and did not return to the game. This could be bad for the Patriots should it be serious. Blount has been solid for the Patriots this season with 650 yards and six touchdowns prior to Sunday night. He has been a solid early-down, short-yardage type of back with the ability to breakoff into big runs. With Dion Lewis done for the year, Blount has done well filling in for the running back and without him, the Patriots would have plenty of question marks on the ground.
If Blount were out for a period of time, the run game would be in the hands of James White and Brandon Bolden. White has been a solid option for New England as he takes over the versatile runner role. He had just one carry one ground, but he had four catches for 38 yards in Week 14. Bolden added 51 yards on the ground. The two may or may not be enough to keep things balanced for Tom Brady and company as the Patriots will likely give an update at some point about Blount.
The Patriots at least found plenty of success through the air. The return of Rob Gronkowski was huge for the team as the tight end had four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. After suffering a knee injury in Week 12, Gronkowski has been trying to tough things out on the field and it paid off.
"That's all we wanted to do - come back out, get back on the winning track again, and we did that," said Gronkowski, via the Boston Herald. "It's cool that we clinched a playoff spot and all, but we've got Tennessee next week."
The return of Gronkowski was nice, but the return of Edelman will be even better. The receiver as returned to practice after suffering a broken foot, but the Herald is reporting that right now no timetable has been set for his return. Originally, the Patriots said Edelman was out until the postseason. However, he is ahead of schedule and that could change. Edelman would not detail everything he can do at the moment as he simply told the media via ESPN.com, "It's always good to be out there with your teammates and staff and put the cleats on and run around."