The worst-case scenario for New England Patriots running back Antonio Gibson has reportedly been confirmed.
Gibson, who left the Patriots’ dramatic last-minute win over the Buffalo Bills with a knee injury, tore his ACL, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, citing sources. The injury obviously ends the veteran running back’s season.
Patriots’ Antonio Gibson Gets Awful News About Knee Injury
Gibson suffered the injury in the first half of New England’s 23-20 win in Buffalo. He was returning a kickoff when his knee appeared to give out on him. It’s not exactly clear if that’s when he suffered the injury, as he was the hit hard as he tried to hurdle a defender. He fumbled the ball in the process, although New England recovered.
What was clear, though, was that the injury was serious. Gibson walked off the field with help and went straight to the medical tent. He wasn’t there long before returning to the locker room with the medical staff with tears in his eyes.
How Patriots’ Depth Chart Looks After Gibson Injury
It’s a brutal blow for both Gibson and the Patriots. The 27-year-old looked solid through the first four weeks as the primary backup to Rhamondre Stevenson. Gibson was able to rack up 106 yards on 26 carries with a touchdown and had been quite effective as the Patriots‘ primary kickoff returner.
Now, the Patriots have to figure out how they want to attack the position moving forward. Stevenson’s position atop the depth chart presumably remains unchanged despite his fumbling problem. Stevenson put yet another ball on the carpet in Week 5, his third fumble of the season, which is the most in the league among running backs.
As ESPN’s Mike Reiss noted, the fumble against the Bills might have been the last straw — at least that was until Gibson’s injury.
“In the first half, the Patriots played Stevenson for only eight snaps (including penalties) after his miscue Sunday night, with six of those plays coming in the team’s ‘pony’ grouping that puts two running backs on the field at the same time,” Reiss wrote after the game.
However, the Patriots went back to the well in the second half, and they were ultimately rewarded for doing so. Stevenson scored in the third quarter and then again in the fourth to pace New England’s signature win. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel reiterated in the postgame press conference that Stevenson needs to fix the issue. However, Vrabel also admitted Stevenson does a lot of good that the Patriots can’t afford to lose, especially without Gibson.
The real wild card might be rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson. The Ohio State product has been brought along slowly, but as the No. 3 back on the depth chart, he’ll almost certainly see more touches beginning in Week 6 against New Orleans.
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