ATLANTA – It wasn’t good to see Vince Wilfork limp off the field in the first half of the Patriots’ win over Atlanta, and the news is about as bad as it could be for New England: according to a league source, the veteran tore his right Achilles’ tendon.

The Patriots announced that Wilfork had an ankle injury during the game, and he was spotted leaving the Georgia Dome after the game with his lower leg in a walking boot.

Wilfork will more than likely be placed on season-ending injured reserve.

It will be interesting to see if the Patriots try to swing a trade for a defensive tackle to take Wilfork’s place – though rookie Joe Vellano had a sack of Matt Ryan, New England is very thin at the position.


A team captain, Wilfork has been the linchpin of the defense for several years, playing an impressive number of snaps for his position.