A New England Patriots defense that was already without its two best players from the start of training camp lost its do-it-all captain who’s a major part of what it wants to do.
Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley is expected to miss the remainder of this season after sustaining a torn left pectoral muscle, a league source said. Bentley sustained the injury in the team’s overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
Bentley, 28, is in his seventh NFL season, all of which were with the Patriots, who drafted him in the fifth round in 2018. Since then, Bentley blossomed into one of the game’s best inside linebackers, able to stuff the run, blitz from the interior and offer coverage on pass plays, too. He rarely left the field for the Patriots and also called defensive plays as a leader on the field.
His injury is the latest in a series of tough blows for a Patriots defense that’s supposed to lead the team this season. Matthew Judon, the star edge rusher, was traded to the Atlanta Falcons after he made his displeasure known regarding his contract status, and Christian Barmore, arguably the team’s best overall player, remains out indefinitely due to blood clots.
What does the Patriots defense do now?
What makes this so tough is how much Bentley did for this team. He was the team’s play caller. Those duties now revert to safety Kyle Dugger.
“I’ve always been a huge believer in a linebacker having the green dot,” said coach Jerod Mayo, a former linebacker, Monday morning. “But I’ll tell you, the way Dugger played yesterday as a whole and being able to handle the communication, he definitely filled in for that role.”
The tougher aspect to replace is Bentley’s run-stopping ability. The Patriots rank 10th in rushing expected points added allowed per play, a large credit to Bentley, who recorded 12 tackles in the season opener before getting hurt in Week 2.
The Pats are confident in what they have in the secondary. But without Barmore and Judon, their pass rush ranks among the league’s worst, and without Bentley, questions will exist over how they stop the run.
Who steps up?
Jahlani Tavai was already a starter who had a big role, so that doesn’t change. In the short term, Raekwon McMillan will get a lot more playing time. He was a second-round pick in 2017 but has struggled to stay healthy.
The bigger question is whether the Pats can get any reinforcements from Sione Takitaki. They signed him as a free agent this spring to a two-year contract, but he didn’t practice with the team all summer and opened the season on the physically unable to perform list. Given his spot there, he’s not eligible to return until after Week 4.
But since he hasn’t yet practiced, it might be asking a lot to have him back in Week 5. So it’s probably McMillan who will get the biggest boost in playing time as the Patriots try to piece together the production they’ll miss with Bentley injured.
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(Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran / The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
