If there was a player on each side of the ball that the New England Patriots could not afford to lose, you would have to point to Tom Brady and nose tackle Vince Wilfork. Unfortunately for the team, who advanced to 4-0 with a win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night, Wilfork suffered a season-ending injury during the game.
On Monday morning, Albert Breer of the NFL Network passed along the news that Wilfork had suffered a torn Achilles tendon, which obviously ends his 2013-14 campaign.
Breer wrote:
Patriots NT Vince Wilfork's torn Achilles will end his season. He's been an ironman for NE. Sense is he was playing thru pain this year.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 30, 2013
The Boston Globe confirmed the news shortly after and added that the Patriots locker room is “still in shock.”
Wilfork was the anchor of the team’s defense for years, so the Patriots will now have to find a player that is able to step up and embrace the much larger role.
The back up interior defensive linemen on the Patriots roster are currently two rookies — Chris Jones and Joe Vellano. It will be a huge step back.