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When the Bengals face the Patriots this Sunday, one of their top defenders for the Pats will not be on the field. In the win against the Atlanta Falcons, Vince Wilfork went down early with an ankle injury. He was later carted off to the locker room. According to the Boston Globe, Wilfork is most certainly out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.
Wilfork is a major piece of the Patriots defense and losing him would becomes a major blow and he won't return any time soon. Recently Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens had a similar injury and missed six months.
The most likely replacement for Wilfork would be rookie Joe Vellano, who generated a quarterback sack on Sunday.
This could be a break for the Bengals. The undefeated Patriots have played several close games and many times have looked very beatable. The Bengals will need to change the offense, but may have a bit more success in the running game than if Wilfork was in there.