Patriots bemoan injuries to two key rookie offensive starters: ‘It hurts’

CINCINNATI Sometimes a win can feel like a loss That was the affair Sunday when the Patriots saw left tackle Will Campbell knee and left guard Jared Wilson ankle leave the - win over the Bengals with injuries Campbell and Wilson were both taken to the locker room on carts after getting checked out by Patriots trainers in the organization s blue biological tent Wilson who s started of games this season was wearing a walking boot on his right foot and walking with a crutch in the locker room after the meeting Campbell who has started every championship in his rookie season was not spotted in the locker room but he wore a towel hooded and covering his face as he was carted to the tunnel Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel didn t have an update on any of the players injuries after the competition I appreciate you guys all talking about the injuries week so thanks Vrabel explained sarcastically after the meeting referencing stories written about the group s injury luck through the first weeks of the season Injuries are part of the encounter Vrabel stated later Ben Brown replaced Wilson at left guard and Vederian Lowe finished the competition at left tackle in place of Campbell Rookie Marcus Bryant also entered Sunday s challenge briefly for starter Morgan Moses who left with an illness before returning Campbell has been living up to his first-round billing this season as Drake Maye s blindside protector He s allowed five sacks on the season but none since the Patriots Week win over the Falcons Wilson has steadily improved as the season has gone along and was coming off the best contest of his career in Week Shoot I love those guys Maye revealed of Campbell and Wilson They re going to be all right That s the big thing about those guys They work hard and they re going to be back and they ve done such a good job for us this year man I love those guys Will and Jared have meant a lot to me We ve got to know them in different avenues And yeah it hurts It s disappointing man That s this competition That s life and they ll bounce back and help us down the road Wide receiver Stefon Diggs is hoping for the best for the Patriots two rookie starters I hope he s back Diggs revealed of Campbell I hope it s not as bad as we think Diggs expressed a similar sentiment when talking about Wilson later as well The Patriots reshaped offensive line has been a major strength for the crew this season compared to last year Now the Patriots might need to rely on Lowe and Brown who were part of last year s starting group over the final five weeks of the season and a anticipated playoff run Center Garrett Bradbury commented he s hopeful that the two rookies will lean on the veterans in the room and he knows the training room is going to do a great job and get them back out there as soon as they can Lowe started games for the Patriots in while Brown started games at center The Patriots rank in PFF s pass-blocking efficiency metric this season while they ranked st in with constant turnover due to injuries and poor performance The Patriots also added Moses and center Garrett Bradbury this offseason Lowe called Campbell a hell of a athlete and announced his injury definitely sucks He commented he felt reassured both being thrust into action Sunday and in the Patriots offense Ever since I came back from injury I ve been working with the guys and learning the ins and outs of the playbook nuances of what our coaches want and everything Lowe noted I m a professional When my number is called I want to make sure I go out there and perform and that s what I m going to do no matter what the circumstances are Brown disclosed he felt horrible for Wilson and announced Jared has done a few awesome things this year He revealed Vrabel s message to prepare as a starter every week resonated when he entered the match It s rare for all eight evolving offensive linemen to be called into duty in a event Lowe commented it exhibited the group s resiliency There s particular stuff we could have done a little bit better especially me too Brown stated But just being ready for whenever our time comes Bradbury added We re a close group We pride ourselves on the way we work and also what we know I think the coaches do a good job of preparing everyone But yeah it s whatever it takes It s next man up and we want those guys to get back and be healthy and that s the ultimate goal But I m proud of the way the guys stepped up Special-teams captain Brenden Schooler ankle also left the battle and didn t return He was spotted in the locker room with a walking boot on his left foot Defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga chest also left the contest Tonga was listed as questionable and remained on the bench in the second half