The New England Patriots were hit with a barrage of injuries during Sunday’s overtime loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Most of their injured players returned to the game after stints on the sideline or in the locker room, but a hamstring injury knocked outside linebacker Chase Winovich out for the rest of the afternoon.
Winovich briefly explained how he suffered the injury during an appearance Monday on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand.”
“I got pushed in the back and planted on it,” he said. “But I’m not really allowed to talk about injuries, so that’s all I can say.”
Winovich did not see action on defense in New England’s 35-29 loss, so his injury came on special teams. He played eight snaps in the kicking game before exiting in the third quarter.
A half-dozen Patriots defenders were dinged up Sunday. Linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Ja’Whaun Bentley, cornerbacks Jonathan Jones and Justin Bethel, and safety Adrian Phillips all were evaluated for injuries.
The loss dropped the Patriots to 2-4 on the season and 0-4 at home, with three of their defeats coming by six points or fewer.
“If you’re dwelling on the past or you care too much about what happened, especially when it comes to things like records — well, it’s in the past,” Winovich said. “Literally, you can’t change it. It just is what it is. And what we’ve shown is whether it’s the Bucs, whether it’s the Cowboys, time and time again, we’re in these games. We’ve just got to find a way to get wins. At the end of the day, that’s the only stat that matters.
“As someone who has ‘Win’ as the first three letters of his last name, that’s definitely something that I take a lot of pride in. I’m here to try to help us accomplish that in any way I can. Obviously, stuff like injuries and stuff make the personal contribution a little tougher, a little trickier, but a rising tide raises all ships, and whatever I can do to raise that tide here, I’m going to try to spend my energy on.”
Winovich and the Patriots will look to bounce back Sunday when they host the 1-4 New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.
