The injury news on tight end Rob Gronkowski was not good, but the Patriots appear to have dodged a bullet in regard to running back Danny Woodhead.
Woodhead injured his thumb early in Sunday’s 41-28 victory over the Texans and did not return to the contest. The Patriots didn’t really miss him as Shane Vereen scored three times playing in a role similar to the one normally filled by Woodhead. Based on what coach Bill Belichick said in Monday’s press conference, the Patriots should be able to pick their poison come the AFC Championship Game.
“Danny was examined and back on the sideline for the remainder of the game. Had we needed to use him, he would have been available to go back in there,” Belichick said. “Now that we are into a new week, we will re-address the whole situation and try to get a good feel of what he would and wouldn’t be available to do, and how functional he would be doing it. So I would say that’s something we’ll have to look at during the week.”
Defensive end Chandler Jones also left the game with an injury, but Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald reports that he was not in a walking boot to protect his ankle after the end of the game. We’ll find out more about the status of both Jones and Woodhead when the Patriots return to practice on Wednesday.