You know, it's a good thing that the Patriots will have the Brigham and Women's/Mass General Health Care Center on the grounds of Patriot Place in 2009. If the '09 season is like this year, then the Pats will have a lot of their players as patients.
In the first quarter, second round pick Terrance Wheatley did a great job covering Colts receiver Marvin Harrison. On third down of Indianapolis' first posession, Wheatley broke up a pass intended for Harrison and forced a Colts punt.
But that punt didn't happen until the training staff helped Wheatley off the field. Later, t.v. cameras showed Wheatley being escorted by a Patriots medical staff member to the locker room as the trainer carefully held up Wheatley's arm (I think it was his left arm to be exact).
I don't know what the prognosis is, if there is any. But it didn't look good. Whether it is a broken bone or a torn ligament, it will curtail Wheatley's season, if not end it.
If that's the case, Wheatley becomes the lastest Patriot to lose significant time due to injury. And with the secondary already short-handed, it puts added pressure to find a warm bodies healthy enough to play.
This injury bug sure gets around, and the secondary is in second place as far as the position influenced the most by injuries. Running back is first on the list with the starter, Laurence Maroney, his back-up, Sammy Morris, and the back-up's back-up, LaMont Jordan, ranked as first, and quarterback, because of the significance of the loss of Tom Brady, in a close third.
The current state of the secondary's health is tenuous, at best. We saw last week Ellis Hobbs fall hard on his shoulder. He needed to be helped off the field. Lewis Sanders has been in and out of the lineup. And Deltha O'Neal suffered a concussion. If they have to reach for help, they could turn to WR/S Matt Slater, but he was out this week as well. Can Troy Brown still play?
We'll hear soon enough what's up with Wheatley. But he misses any time, the dwindling secondary will really be hurting.
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