As the New England Patriots watch injuries pile up early in the year, it appears the team dodged a major bullet with safety Kyle Dugger. The fifth-year defensive back could not complete the Patriots' Week 4 game against the San Francisco 49ers, but should not miss significant time.
Dugger has not gotten all of his test results back yet but is believed to have avoided a major injury, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. The insider noted that the safety is still likely to miss some games but the initial results will give head coach Jerod Mayo a sigh of relief after Dugger was carted off during the game against the 49ers.
The exact play that hurt Dugger was not confirmed but is believed to be Jake Moody's 26-yard-field goal in the first quarter. During the play, Dugger appeared to take a bad step and fall to the ground holding his ankle. He would remain in the game for a few more plays but leave before halftime.
After a shocking 1-0 start to the season with an upset win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots have now lost three straight to drop to 1-3. Most of the criticism has been placed on New England's lackluster offense, but the defense has been on an equal downside, allowing over 20 points in each game of its current losing streak.
Should Dugger miss any time, he would become the fourth New England starter to miss considerable time. Ja'Whaun Bentley is currently the only would-be starter on the defense on injured reserve, but key offensive linemen Cole Strange and Chukwuma Okafor are currently out on the offense.
Patriots look to snap three-game skid against the Miami Dolphins
On the heels of their third straight loss, the Patriots will get a brief break in their rough schedule when they host the Miami Dolphins in Week 5. While Miami had high expectations for their season entering Week 1, an injury to Tua Tagovailoa has temporarily lowered their performance, causing them to also trot into Week 5 on a three-game losing streak.
Without Tagovailoa, Miami is relying on career journeyman Tyler ‘Snoop' Huntley under center. Huntley started Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans and threw for just 96 yards but added 40 yards and a score on the ground, accounting for the team's lone touchdown of the evening.
In 2023, the Dolphins won both matchups, including a convincing 31-17 showdown in Miami on Week 8. The Patriots have not beaten the Dolphins since Week 17 of the 2022 season, a game that saw Dugger return an interception off of a Teddy Bridgewater pass 39 yards for a touchdown.
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