FOXBORO, Mass. — It seems like the Patriots have another concussion on their hands after running back Danny Woodhead went down early in Sunday's demolition of the Dolphins.
"It's a physical game," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Sunday when asked about the overall health of his team. "I'm sure we'll have some guys with some bumps and bruises coming in here [Monday]. We'll see how it goes."
Here is the Monday health checkup.
Woodhead suffered a head injury, which almost always means it's a concussion, in the first quarter, and his return was listed as questionable. Yet, after receiving attention from the medical staff, a trainer took Woodhead's helmet away, which signified his day was over. Woodhead was his typical, jovial self in the locker room after the game, but it's tough to put a timetable on concussions.
Defensive lineman Myron Pryor suffered an eye injury in the second half. His return was listed as questionable, but he didn’t make it back to the field. Pryor has also been dealing with a back injury that kept him out of the previous seven games.
Defensive lineman Ron Brace suffered an elbow injury last week, and the Boston Herald reported he will be placed on injured reserve Monday when linebacker Brandon Spikes completes his suspension.
Right guard Dan Connolly missed his second straight game with a concussion, and he hasn’t practiced since suffering the injury against the Packers. Connolly did some jogging on the field prior to Sunday's game, though, and that's the first sign of progress since the injury. It seems possible that he could return in time for the playoffs.
Linebacker Tully Banta-Cain missed his first game of the season with a groin injury, and he's been on the injury report for two weeks with that issue. The Boston Globe reported it's been a nagging injury for much of the season, and Banta-Cain was just getting some rest.
Wide receiver Deion Branch missed his first game since rejoining the Patriots. He's been fighting through a minor knee injury for a while, and this was likely a precautionary measure.
Tight end Aaron Hernandez missed his second straight game with a hip injury. He was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday but didn’t participate Friday. When Thursday's practice started, Hernandez did extra stretching with trainers. The injury isn’t believed to be serious.
Defensive lineman Mike Wright missed his sixth consecutive game with a concussion, and it's unclear when he'll be able to return.
