The New England Patriots finished comfortably against the New York Giants, but they didn't close the game until the fourth quarter. Moreover, they also lost one of their top safeties in the process.
Patrick Chung was taken out of the game after injuring his chest against the Giants. Mike Reiss confirmed in his tweet that the 32-year-old safety wouldn't be able to return to the game.
Safety Patrick Chung (chest) will not return to tonight's game, per the team.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 11, 2019
There's still no idea as to the extent of the injury, but the team will be hoping he won't have to sit out any games at all. The Patriots need him healthy if they have any hope of keeping their unbeaten streak alive.
Chung has been a solid contributor to the team during the team's first four games. So far this season, he's recorded 17 tackles and one pass deflection during his playing time. He wasn't able to play in Week 5 and didn't manage to make a play against the Giants before sustaining a chest injury.
It's likely that the Patriots will have Chung undergo tests to assess the damage on his chest. The Patriots will still be heavy favorites even if he's unavailable against the New York Jets. However, there's more to this Patriots team than just being undefeated.
This game was another display of the Patriots failing to connect on offense. Reiss wrote on ESPN about how the defense has bailed Tom Brady out once again as they made important defensive stops. If Chung won't be present, it gives Sam Darnold the option to target the area where he will be positioned.
This season might be the toughest yet for the Pats, and not having their first-choice safety hurts their chances of keeping the undefeated streak alive.
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