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News In the Press Patriots need middle man
News In the Press Patriots need middle man
| Patriots need middle man |
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| Written by Administrator |
| Tuesday, 12 December 2006 00:00 |
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No word yet on Wilfork injury By Christopher L. Gasper, Globe Staff FOXBOROUGH -- He's not Tom Brady, and he'll never be the poster boy for the Patriots -- or anything, considering his 6-foot-2-inch, 325-pound frame -- but nose tackle Vince Wilfork might be the most difficult player to replace in the lineup outside of No. 12. Interior linemen with Wilfork's blend of size, speed, agility, and playmaking acumen are tougher to find than a Bill Belichick smile after a loss. The third-year lineman is the focal point of the defense, clogging the middle, freeing up others to make plays, and corralling ball carriers on his own. "He's the big fella that holds it down in the middle," said defensive end Ty Warren. "There's no other Vince in there. There's no one as strong as Vince and as explosive as he is, with his mass and everything. He's an integral part of this defense." That's why New England will be at a loss if Wilfork is lost for an extended period. The tackle, who has started all 13 games and is fourth on the team with 81 tackles, injured his right leg during the third quarter of the Patriots' 21-0 loss to the Miami Dolphins Sunday at Dolphin Stadium. Wilfork went down with 9:30 left in the period on a 4-yard run by Sammy Morris and never returned. At the time, Morris had 10 carries for 31 yards. After Wilfork left, Morris racked up 92 more yards on 15 carries to finish with 123 yards. That made him the first 100-yard rusher New England allowed since Denver's Tatum Bell ticked off 123 in the third game of the season. In fairness, Morris's total was inflated by a 44-yard gallop with two minutes remaining, after the outcome had been decided. However, that run was up the middle, where Wilfork would have been. It was the longest run New England has allowed all season and just the second rush of more than 20 yards. Miami had capitalized on the Vince Void long before that, though. On the series after Wilfork went out, Miami ran the ball four straight times with Morris, including a fourth-and-1 pickup. On the play following the fourth-down conversion, Joey Harrington hooked up with Marty Booker on a 32-yard touchdown pass. In the fourth quarter, the Dolphins hammered in from the New England 11 on three straight runs, the last a 3-yard TD by Morris. Artrell Hawkins, who was beaten by Booker on the first touchdown, said Wilfork's absence is like his physical stature: huge. "Obviously, you want a Vince Wilfork and you want him healthy," said Hawkins. "He does a lot of intangible things that a lot of people may not particularly pay attention to in game-time situations. As a safety, as linebackers, he does a lot [for us] in terms of stuffing that run, and they just can't push him around. He's a big strong, very athletic player." To date, the Patriots have the third-best run defense in the league at 86.4 yards per game. Without Wilfork, they'd turn primarily to second-year defensive lineman Mike Wright. Wright replaced Wilfork Sunday and finished with two tackles. "When he went down, we knew he was gone, but I think the players that played behind him played pretty well, too," said Hawkins. Wright has started one game this season, lining up alongside Wilfork at right defensive tackle when the Patriots opened in a 4-3 alignment against the Jets Sept. 17, but he is a regular in goal-line and short-yardage packages. Wright, who is also a key special teams contributor, has 24 tackles on the season. "I'll be ready to play whatever role I need to play," said Wright. He might take Wilfork's role, but he knows he can't take his place. "There's not many guys out there that are that big, that are that low to the ground, that can also move and are that smart with the game," said Wright. "He's extremely smart." Wilfork was smart enough to avoid the media and any further questioning about his injury. He was limping in the locker room following the loss to Miami but was nowhere to be found yesterday at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots hope that changes by Sunday, when the Houston Texas come to town. "He's one of the foundations of the defense," said defensive end Richard Seymour. "It starts in the middle, so obviously we want him back this week." |