Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham
ESPNBoston's Mike Reiss put together a comprehensive analysis of what linebacker Jerod Mayo's absence might mean for the New England Patriots' defense.
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Reiss suggested it's commensurate with what New England's offense would encounter if quarterback Tom Brady went down for an extended period.
"You can't replace Jerod," safety James Sanders said. "There is only one Jerod Mayo in the league."
Mayo suffered a right knee injury in the first quarter of Monday night's 25-24 triumph over the Buffalo Bills.
With interviews from the Patriots' locker room and a dissection of how they adjusted personnel-wise after Mayo left the game, Reiss looks for clues as to how the Patriots will cope until the tackling machine gets back.
Reiss notes how the Patriots used Gary Guyton from that point and foresees them sticking with their base defense more against the New York Jets on Sunday and relying less on sub packages.
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Tim Graham
Graham joined ESPN.com in 2008 after covering the Miami Dolphins for the Palm Beach Post. He previously spent eight years at the Buffalo News, where he was an award-winning NHL and boxing writer. The Baldwin-Wallace College grad also has worked for the Las Vegas Sun and Boston Herald.
