The Patriots improved to 10-0 Monday night with a razor-thin win over the Bills, but they suffered more injury casualties. One week after No. 1 receiver Julian Edelman broke his foot, his replacement, Danny Amendola, left the game with a knee injury and didn’t return.
Amendola was the star of the game until that point, piling up 117 yards on nine catches, and getting robbed of a potential 70-yard touchdown grab by an inadvertent whistle. On top of that, wide receiver Aaron Dobson also left the game limping after hurting his ankle.
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The Patriots have now lost RB Dion Lewis and Edelman for the season, and are awaiting word on Amendola’s status. That’s on top of numerous injuries along the offensive line that have kept it from being whole for most of the year. Lewis, Edelman and Amendola were Tom Brady’s second third and fourth options in the passing game, so even with their relatively soft remaining schedule, their prospects of running the table are bleak.
Their next two games are at Denver, and home for Philadelphia, the top two defenses in the NFL back to back. On Dec. 27 they have to travel to the Meadowlands to face the Jets, another strong unit. Offensively those teams aren’t big threats, but they have the potential to stifle New England’s hobbled offense.
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Meanwhile, the Panthers are healthy, and Cam Newton is playing like the MVP of the league. Newton is known for the threat he poses as a runner, but he set a career high with five passing touchdowns against the Redskins on Sunday, and he hit five different receivers. Newton has spearheaded one of the league’s best rushing attacks, and improved to the point where defenses must respect the pass, even with a weak receiving corps.
Carolina’s road to 16-0 is also fraught with landmines; they have two remaining tilts vs. the Falcons, a division rival suddenly clawing for a wildcard berth, as well as two road games vs. the Saints and Giants and their high-octane passing games. Their health gives them an edge over the Pats though.
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