While much of the focus late last season in New England was on the gruesome knee injury suffered by wide receiver Wes Welker, the true culprit for the Patriots demise in the playoffs was the inability of their defense to shut down opposing offenses.
So naturally, headed into this year, the hope for many fans of the team was that the club would find a way to rectify that problem and get back to playing the tough brand of football they’ve grown accustomed to seeing over the past decade under head coach Bill Belichick.
Those hopes took a significant hit earlier today, as news broke of Patriots defensive end Ty Warren being placed on the injured reserve list with a hip injury, ending his season before it actually began.
Warren was expected to be a solid contributor for New England this year, after losing fellow defensive end Jarvis Green to the Broncos via free agency during the off-season.
On a side note, the Patriots received good news shortly after Warren’s injury was announced, as linebacker Derrick Burgess reported to camp, ending his thoughts of retirement to re-join his teammates on the practice field.
It will take some time for him to get back into playing shape, and Belichick will likely push him extra hard for the missed time, but Burgess will definitely be counted on to provide much need support and a boost in rushing the passer along the Patriots defensive front this fall.
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Written by Chris Kolb
Topics: New England Patriots