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Football is a rough sport, and sometimes guys get hurt. Unfortunately, New England Patriots WR Devante Parker was knocked out of his team’s 27-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night with a concussion.
Parker took a hit late in the first quarter after attempting to make a reception over the middle. He struggled to get to his feet, clearly dazed and confused. However, no one who was a part of the NFL’s Concussion Spotting team seemed to notice Parker’s condition. He was even having trouble keeping his balance as he tried to line up at his position for the next play.
Thankfully, the Cardinals challenged the play, giving Parker’s teammate Nelson Agholor an opportunity to get the attention of the Patriots’ medical staff. You can see the hit, Parker’s reaction, and Agholor’s efforts in the video below from WBZ’s Michael Hurley.
A failure by the concussion spotter. DeVante Parker could not stand up straight after hitting the ground. Nelson Agholor took a knee and was flailing desperately to try to get the play stopped for Parker.
Nelson Agholor and Others React to the Dangerous Situation
Per NESN’s Zack Cox, Agholor spoke about the situation and his reasons for trying to get Parker help.
Others, like Pro Football Focus’ Marcus Mosher, called out the concussion spotter for missing Parker’s compromised state.
DeVante Parker almost fell over in his stance before the T.O.
What is the spotter doing??
Parker didn’t return to the game, and like a fellow teammate, Jakobi Meyers, who missed the Monday night game, may find himself in concussion protocol moving forward. The Patriots won a game they had to have, thanks to a stout defense in a contest riddled by injuries.
How the Patriots Beat the Cardinals
The Cardinals lost star quarterback Kyler Murray on the third play from scrimmage to what many believe is a torn ACL, per PFF’s Ari Meirov. It’s always terrible to see anyone go down with a serious injury, and there is no doubt the Murray injury changed the game’s complexion.
Colt McCoy came in for Murray, and the Patriots’ defense harassed him all night.
The Patriots’ defense sacked McCoy six times and registered nine quarterback hits. One of those hits resulted in an interception thrown to Patriots rookie cornerback Marcus Jones. The first-year playmaker was all over the field on Monday night, playing on both sides of the ball.
In addition to his interception, Jones returned two kickoffs for a combined 47 yards, a punt for seven while making eight total tackles, defending two passes, and caught a swing pass from Mac Jones for 12 yards.
It is clear Jones has become a major part of what the Patriots do in every facet of the game. Josh Uche had another monster game, recording three more sacks to push his season total to 10. Matthew Judon had 1.5 and is now tied with the San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa for the league lead with 14.5.
New England’s offense has been much-maligned this season. It wasn’t perfect on Monday night, but it was improved from what we have seen throughout the two-game losing streak New England snapped with the victory over the Cardinals.
Mac Jones threw one interception on a deflected pass but was otherwise solid. He completed 24 of 35 passes for 235 yards. The offensive line was strong, only allowing one sack the entire night. They also helped to escort a balanced Patriots running game.
New England lost Rhamondre Stevenson to an ankle injury in the first half. He didn’t return, but rookies Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris proved up to the task.
Strong ran for 70 yards on five carries and found the end zone for the first time as a pro. Harris had 26 yards on eight carries, and he, too, scored his first NFL touchdown.
It was a balanced team win for the Patriots, who reached the seventh and final playoff spot in the AFC with the victory.