There's still no word on the severity of Devin McCourty's rib injury suffered during the second quarter of Sunday's dominating win over the Bears -- the team hasn't commented on it since the post-game press conferences, and all McCourty said was that he was "OK" and "alright," likely at the instruction of the Patriots. From the Globe's Greg Bedard:
Loved how McCourty sprinted out of the locker room before media got in, I presume, on orders.
Don't care if team won't let him talk about his injury, but I would like to know about the three spectacular plays he bad before going out.
But the rookie cornerback is voicing his appreciation the warm wishes from fans.
Thanks for everyone support...it's much appreciated
Devin McCourty
DMcCourty32
If McCourty is sidelined for any length of time, it'd certainly be a blow to the quickly improving Patriots' defense. McCourty leads the team with six interceptions and is third with 67 tackles. Darius Butler, a second-year player out of UConn, is McCourty's back-up. The Patriots' Friday signing of free agent CB Chevis Jackson may be more valuable than even they originally realized.
Indeed, even in limited playing time Sunday, McCourty made his impact felt, most notably early in the second quarter when he forced a fumble that was picked up by Gary Guyton for a touchdown that gave the Patriots a 21-0 lead and essentially put the game away (jump ahead to the :45 mark).