The Patriots’ stable of running backs probably figured their
jobs got a little harder after Lawrence
Maroney was dealt to the Broncos earlier this week.
Thanks to injuries suffered by two key AFC East defensive
linemen, the opposite may be true.
Jets nose tackle Kris Jenkins and Dolphins defensive end Jared Odrick, both integral run-stoppers for their respective teams, sustained serious leg injuries in the season’s first week.
Jenkins, who missed all but six games of the 2009 season
with an ACL injury, retore his ACL on the sixth play of the Jets’ game against
the Ravens. Jenkins will miss the remainder of the season, and while the
31-year-old is one of the best run stuffers in the game, he’s always had
problems staying healthy. Jenkins has admitted to considering retirement
before, and seeing as this is the third time he’s torn an ACL, it might be an
option he revisits.
In Jenkins’ absence, the Jets will rely more heavily on
veteran defensive tackles Sione Pouha,
Mike Devito and Matt Kroul. None
can come close to matching Jenkins’ dominance, however, and rumors about the
Jets’ interest in disgruntled Redskins nose tackle Albert Haynesworth already are swirling.
The news isn’t quite as bad for Odrick, who has a hairline
fracture of his left tibia and is expected to miss two to four games. Odrick
broke the same bone as a sophomore at Penn State in 2007 and had to have a
metal plate inserted into his leg. The Dolphins’ first-round selection in the
2010 draft, Odrick is a better pass rusher than run blocker, but did amass 24.5
tackles for loss in 46 college games.
The Dolphins had depth issues on the defensive line prior to
Odrick’s injury, as 2008 second-round pick Phillip
Merling is out for the year. In his place, Tony McDaniel will receive many of Odrick’s snaps, and while McDaniel
is a solid second-team player, he’s more of a space-eater than a playmaker.
The Patriots play the Jets on Sunday, and they first play
the Dolphins in Week 4, which is when some optimistic reports target as Odrick’s
return date. But if he experiences any setbacks in his recovery, Patriots
running backs can look forward to his absence as well.
With players like Kendall
Langford, Randy Starks, Shawn Ellis and
Marcus Stroud still looming large on defensive lines across the division,
being a running back in the AFC East always will be a tough job.
But you can bet that the Patriot halfbacks are breathing a
little easier now that Jenkins and Odrick are out of the picture.
