Pats LB Dont'a Hightower out for season with torn pec

[BostonBlackie]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300...-with-torn-pec

Pats LB Dont'a Hightower out for season with torn pec

Just as the New England Patriots' defense appeared to turn the corner, it suffered another body blow.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that linebacker Dont'a Hightower has a torn pec and is out for the season, according to a source informed of the situation. Losing Hightower for the duration of 2017 is a huge hit to the Patriots' defense. The veteran was the biggest playmaker in the front seven, but his importance went beyond production. Hightower is the defensive leader and communicator on the field. When he was in the lineup, the other positions fell more neatly into place.

[vasteeler]

Man... Big hit on an already suspect defense

[GBMelBlount]

The Patriots are a "next man up" team if there ever was one.

[43Hitman]

The Patriots are a "next man up" team if there ever was one.

Yep, ain't that the truth. They'll pull some no-name off the practice squad and it will be like Dont'a was never gone.

[DesertSteel]

Yep because we all know that their s*** don't stink.

[steelreserve]

Well, I'm never (er ... rarely) rooting for people to explicitly get injured, but now that it happened, you're not going to find me crying in my beer for them.

[BnG_Hevn]

Patriots' next man up = getting play calling from opposing team to give them a leg up.

Notice, they drop "A" players, why? Probably b/c they don't fit the scheme. And, it usually takes them 2 seasons to rebound, that gives them enough time to train people they trust in the Patriot way.

[BostonBlackie]

The Patriots are a "next man up" team if there ever was one.

The 4 Patriot's players you can't next man up:

Brady
Edelman
Gronk
Hightower

Two down.