Patriots Don’t Have Specifics On Potential Game-Changing Injury

The Patriots already don’t have a great chance of beating the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but things could become even tougher if one particular player is ruled inactive.

Who could we be talking about?

Christian Gonzalez? Mike Onwenu? Bryce Baringer? No, New England doesn’t have to worry about those guys, but there’s some legit concern regarding Anfernee Jennings.

Jennings suffered a shoulder injury in last week’s loss to the New York Jets, and it was enough to keep him sidelined from practicing Wednesday. He did return in a limited capacity Thursday, but Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo didn’t want to give any definitive answers as to whether his stoutest run defender would be available in Week 4.

“If he can’t go, it’s the next man up mentality,” Mayo said Friday, per team-provided video. “You want a guy where you know the edge is always going to be set. It’s been a point of emphasis for us this week, not only in the run game but in the passing game — keeping the quarterback in the pocket. Someone else will have to do it if he can’t go, but hopefully he’s there.”

Jennings is important most weeks, but his value drastically increases in matchups against offenses from the Kyle Shanahan tree — which San Francisco’s is obviously apart of. Shanahan is the head coach, after all.

The 49ers figure to run a lot of wide-zone running plays Sunday, and without someone to set the edge and turn everything back to the middle, the Patriots could get gashed on the ground. Jennings is that guy, and very clearly has a fan in Mayo.

“I would say it’s his mentality and attitude,” Mayo said of Jennings. “… He’s a very intense player out there on the field, and I love that about him. He’s a very good run defender out there on the edge. He does a good job with that, and he also has a level of pass-rush. He’s a very smart player. I don’t think we talk about that enough, but Anfernee has played mainly outside linebacker and defensive end, but you could easily — from a mental standpoint — play him off the ball because he understands the defense as a whole.”

Jennings should be available to practice Friday, and his status from that final tune-up will tell us a ton about whether it’s time for New England to panic or not.