Patriots G Mike Onwenu carted to locker room with ankle injury, ruled out

The Patriots' offensive line took a serious hit. Standout guard Mike Onwenu was carted to the locker room with an ankle injury and has been immediately ruled out.

Onwenu is the anchor of the Patriots' interior, a veteran guard whose stability in the run and pass game is central to how the offense operates. Losing him for the rest of the day forces an immediate reshuffle along the line, a real complication against an opponent that will attack the middle whenever the protection rotates.

The longer-term worry is out of New England's control for now. Ankles for a 340-pound interior lineman are never ideal, and the club will await imaging to know whether this is a short-term issue or something that lingers. For today, the Patriots must finish the game with a patchwork front — and on the very day the offense was already working a rangy young back into the fold, the line is now the biggest question mark on the field.