Patriots get sneaky-big injury news on the defensive line
Aug. 10, 2023; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale sacks Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during a preseason game at Gillette Stadium. (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
The New England Patriots’ rough start on the injury front continues.
As reported by ESPN’s Mike Reiss on The initial diagnosis on DT Daniel Ekuale is a torn biceps, according to a source. Still awaiting more tests to confirm but the Patriots are bracing for the loss of their sub-rushing veteran who has shown a knack for creating interior disruption.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 26, 2023" rel="noopener" target="_blank">X, the “initial diagnosis” for defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale is a torn bicep. Ekuale left last Sunday’s 15-10 win over the Jets after playing just 10 defensive snaps. His absence led to an increased workload for Sam Roberts (18 snaps).
Ekuale has carved out a consistent role for himself as a sub-rusher on the Patriots’ defensive interior. He filled in admirably for Christian Barmore as the latter recovered from a knee injury in 2022, and has been a steady presence as an inside rusher as Barmore has been more up-and-down. Ekuale had also been a productive run defender so far in 2023, with a forced fumble, one run-stop, and two total tackles in 15 snaps against the ground game, per Pro Football Focus. His consistency and reliability will be missed.

Aug. 10, 2023; Foxborough, MA: New England Patriots defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale sacks Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud during a preseason game at Gillette Stadium. (Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports)
With Ekuale likely headed to injured reserve and possibly done for the season, Roberts would likely be the Next Man Up™ among the reserve interior defenders. The Patriots have mostly depended on mainstays Davon Godchaux and Lawrence Guy, so that’s not likely to change. Godchaux, however, also left Sunday’s game early with an ankle injury, so his injury situation is worth monitoring.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Patriots signed a new defensive tackle for depth purposes, or call up Jeremiah Pharms Jr. from the practice squad, as they get ready for a tough Week 4 road matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt’s content here.
7 Final thoughts on the New England Patriots' Week 3 win over the Jets
The New England Patriots have wrapped up Week 3 after a much-needed win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Here are seven final thoughts on the game, as we turn the page to the next one…
Old vs. Young

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ: JuJu Smith-Schuster of the New England Patriots runs for a first down in the second quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sept. 24, 2023. (Elsa/Getty Images)
Despite gutting out a win against a tough defense in horrible weather, and connecting for one big play, the Patriots offense needs to score a lot more than 15 points if they want to compete with better teams than the Jets. Which, based on New York’s quarterback situation, might be every team remaining on their schedule.
If Bill Belichick is serious about his offense moving the ball and scoring points more than it has, then he needs to reconsider his wide receiver depth chart.
Belichick is, unsurprisingly, leaning on his veterans to carry the load at receiver. DeVante Parker (55 snaps), JuJu Smith-Schuster (53), and Kendrick Bourne (40) continued to play substantially more than dynamic rookie Demario Douglas (17), who has looked like their most explosive skill player in his frustratingly limited playing time.

Sept. 24, 2023; East Rutherford, NJ: New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas can’t hang on to a second-quarter pass as New York Jets cornerback Michael Carter II defends at MetLife Stadium. (Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)
Parker and Smith-Schuster are the peculiar ones. They combined to make just three catches on 24 yards in a combined 108 snaps, while Douglas had two touches for 20 yards in 17 snaps. Smith-Schuster also committed an illegal blindside block that torpedoed a third-quarter drive before it even started.
Belichick lamented the team’s continued lack of offensive production after the game, but one could argue that it’s partially his doing. There seems to be a possible solution to the problem … play Douglas more.
Ball security remains of paramount importance to Belichick and the Patriots, to be sure. So he probably doesn’t trust Douglas to protect the ball as much as he does his veterans. But wide receiver is a position where talent should trump experience much of the time. It’s at the point that the Patriots need to take the good with the bad, put up with the occasional rookie moment, and let Douglas make some plays. They desperately need playmaking.
Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.