Adrian Phillips might have avoided serious injury Monday night.
After exiting the New England Patriots’ 14-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills late in the fourth quarter, Phillips shared what appeared to be a positive update on his Twitter account.
“THANK YOU GOD!!” the veteran safety tweeted.
Phillips made multiple key plays in the victory, including a pair of third-down pass breakups against Bills tight end Dawson Knox. The second came in the end zone with just over two minutes remaining. Phillips suffered his injury on that play, receiving medical attention on the field.
Team trainers administered an ACL test on Phillips’ knee, per a report from NFL Media’s Mike Giardi.
Phillips, who is in a contract year, has been one of the Patriots’ best defensive players this season. He entered Monday night as Pro Football Focus’s fifth-highest-graded safety, and his four interceptions rank second among Patriots defenders behind J.C. Jackson (seven).
New England played its final defensive snap without Phillips or fellow safety Kyle Dugger on the field, as Dugger missed the game following a positive COVID-19 test. Second-year defensive back Myles Bryant broke up a Josh Allen pass on fourth-and-14 to seal the win.
Outside linebacker Matthew Judon also was evaluated for an injury during the Bills’ final drive but later returned.
The 9-4 Patriots now have their bye week before visiting the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, Dec. 18.
