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Vince Wilfork, who underwent surgery on his Achilles tendon on Tuesday, released the following statement via his Twitter account:

I just want to thank everyone for your support and encouragement. ... Please know your words are heard. Bianca [Wilfork's wife] is making sure I see all the comments. I wish I could respond to everyone. But please know your words are heard.

One thing I know is I signed up to play football. I don't regret anything that has happened and there is no need to feel sorry about it. I've been blessed to only have one surgery prior to today and that was in high school.

I know what signing up to play football means and I know the rewards and risks. This is my job and I will switch positions for now and play the role of patient, but that is only temporary. I have so much confidence in our team and know that they will do great and I will be right beside them maybe not in uniform but in all other ways.

Thanks again.

Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork, who is likely headed to season-ending injured reserve, had surgery on his torn right Achilles on Tuesday.

Wilfork's wife, Bianca, tweeted a photo of Wilfork lying in a hospital bed with a cast on the foot and giving the camera a thumbs up:

Thanking God for a successful surgery pic.twitter.com/matpmHlcgH

— bianca wilfork (@mrs75) October 1, 2013

Tedy Bruschi held his weekly ESPNBoston.com New England Patriots chat at 11 a.m. ET on Tuesday. The chat can be recapped here and includes some of the following topics:

1. Explaining what makes Vince Wilfork so valuable to the defense.

2. How the coaching staff might have to get creative to replace Wilfork, such as using Brandon Spikes in a defensive line-type role.

3. Why Spikes has played such a low total of snaps through four games.

4. A player's perspective on injury updates.

5. Sharing thoughts on the Dolphins as competition in the AFC East.

Every Tuesday on ESPNBoston.com, questions from New England Patriots followers are answered as part of a weekly mailbag. This week's mailbag has been posted and includes some of the following topics:

1. How the Patriots might recover from losing defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

2. Did the Patriots make a mistake by not having Rob Gronkowski on the physically unable to perform list?

3. Cornerback Aqib Talib and the possibility of a contract extension.

4. The Broncos' early-season success and how it all matches up against the Patriots.

5. Rookie receiver Josh Boyce and his progress.

Once a training camp, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick throws his team a bone, metaphorically speaking.

It usually takes place after a morning practice, often on a Saturday, and the circumstances are these: If a player of his choosing -- typically a lineman -- can catch a punt, the team will have the afternoon and evening off from meetings. Six to eight extra hours of freedom may not seem like much, but during training camp, every spare minute counts.

Forgive us for not recalling the year, but one fair-catch attempt will forever be remembered. Belichick tabbed nose tackle Vince Wilfork -- all 325-plus pounds of him -- to catch a punt (in the air, of course) with a night off on the line. But there was a catch to the catch: Wilfork had to do so with a ball in one hand, allowing him just one free hand to make the catch.

As the punt soared into the air, spiraling down the field, Wilfork gently glided laterally, lining his frame up under the punt. Just seconds later, the arcing football landed in his free arm, almost as if Velcro were affixed to both the ball and his forearm.

For a moment, Wilfork could have been mistaken for his pint-sized teammate and master ball handler Kevin Faulk, a regular punt returner.

The point of this vignette is that it illustrates Wilfork’s rare athleticism for a man of his stature, proof that men who stand 6-foot-2 and well over 300 pounds can be exceptional athletes, not merely human mountains.

But not all defensive tackles have Wilfork’s movement skills. In fact, maybe a handful of others around the league do.

And that is -- at least in part -- what makes Wilfork such an invaluable member of the Patriots' defense. It’s the ability to align in a variety of spots on the defensive line, the quickness and agility to disrupt as a pass-rusher and, yes, the hands to make a play on the ball as a pass defender, as we saw against the Chargers back in 2011, when he nearly returned an interception for a score.

Three-down defensive linemen are hard to find, especially among interior defensive tackles.

Vince Wilfork fits the bill.

When the Patriots opt to put Wilfork on the injured reserve list -- which looks like a certainty at this point, after he had surgery Tuesday to repair a torn Achilles tendon -- a key cog in their defensive wheel will be done for the season.

And we haven’t even talked about Wilfork’s contributions against the run. The Patriots don’t always play three-man fronts. In fact, they often align with four men at the line of scrimmage. But when Wilfork was selected by the Pats in the 2004 draft's first round, he provided the team a refined and ready-made nose tackle to anchor the defense.

In the Patriots' two-gap system, a defensive lineman is called upon to engage an opposing offensive lineman, lock his arms out to gain leverage, and be prepared to move laterally with the flow of a run. If a running back tries to squirt through one of the two gaps the defensive lineman is controlling, it’s up to him to shed the block and make a tackle.

That’s not easy. It’s an arduous task that requires unique skills. And yet, on virtually every play, the Patriots rely on Wilfork to man this task at a dominant level. A look at the numbers affirms his importance: According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Patriots in the past five seasons have allowed 4.1 yards per rush with Wilfork on the field, ninth-best in the NFL. When Wilfork was off the field, the Patriots ranked last in yards per rush allowed (5.0).

Appearing at halftime of the "Monday Night Football" radio broadcast on Westwood One, Tom Brady commented on Vince Wilfork's season-ending injury. Here's a transcript of what he said:

"Well, to say we'll miss him is an understatement. His presence in the locker room and on the field is really unmatched, so it will be a team effort. I know Coach Belichick said there's no Vince Wilforks on the street corner waiting to sign with the Patriots, which is the truth, but we're going to have to find a way to -- in a group effort -- replace such a valuable player. And he'll be around, his spirit, his leadership, he'll still have a big impact on our team. But he's been a great player for a long time and everyone's disappointed about his injury."

On if he can gauge what it does to the morale of the team when you lose such a player of that level of importance:

"Yeah, well, initially there's a blow to the team morale in that you wonder who's going to fill in that spot and who's going to take the void of such a great player. But then as soon as you get into the week, you start thinking about your job, how much you need to do and what the coaches are asking you, and then you really leave it to coach to think of the things that he can do now to help replace a guy like Vince as well as personnel. So injuries are really a part of the game and I think we've learned over the years that there's not one player that makes the team. Certainly losing a guy like
Vince doesn't help our team in any way, but we're going to have to find somebody to go in there and do the job of that nose tackle position and do it to the level that they're capable of. It's a team sport so the rest of the team has to pick up the pieces."

On if he sensed the severity of the injury when it occurred:

"I wasn't sure of the severity, I know that Vince never really goes down and stays on the ground so when he came over to the sideline and I went over and tapped him on the shoulder to ask him how he felt and he just kind of nodded his head which, I knew at that point that it wasn't a minor injury. He's as tough as they come. He's been durable, consistent. Like I said, his leadership and his ability to motivate the other players on the defensive side of the ball has been one of the best I've ever seen. So we'll miss him, we'll miss him for the rest of the year, but I know he'll come
back next year strong and as determined as ever."

On Rob Gronkowski and his injury status:

"He's been on the active roster for the last four weeks and I've seen him every day working as hard as he can to get back. So it ends up being a medical decision and that's not my role. So I'm just waiting for the day that he does get back because he adds so much to our offense. Every week that he's been out there he's made significant improvement. So it'll be great when he's back and it'll be great when we get Danny Amendola back and Shane Vereen back and finally we can see what our offense is really made of. Whether that's this week or the following week or the following week. I mean those things are really not determined by me."

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick confirmed Monday afternoon what was reported earlier in the day: star defensive lineman Vince Wilfork’s season is likely over.

Wilfork left Sunday night’s game in the first quarter with what was reported to be a torn right Achilles tendon.

“It doesn’t look too good for Vince,” Belichick said during his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. “I think he’s got a pretty serious injury and it’s probably unlikely that he’ll be able to play again this year.”

Wilfork, one of the team's captains, is a perennial Pro Bowler and vital cog to the team's defense, particularly against the run.

“Clearly, there are no Vince Wilforks just standing around out there on the corner waiting to sign with the Patriots or some other NFL team,” Belichick said during his WEEI interview. “He is a special player, one of the very best at his position. There’s no way that you would replace him with one guy, that’s totally unrealistic. But we’ll try to do what we can to make our team as competitive as possible with the 46 guys we put out there against Cincinnati this Sunday.”

Less than 12 hours after news broke that Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork had suffered an Achilles tear that will likely shelve him for the remainder of this season, his teammates spoke about his impact -- one that transcends what the box score says.

"Obviously Vince is a huge asset to our team not only on the field, but off the field," fellow defensive captain Jerod Mayo said. "And he's a great leader, he demands double teams in the run game and he also coordinates some of the rushes in the passing game as well."

For Mayo, losing Wilfork doesn't just mean having to play without the team's best defensive lineman and one that clears space for him and his fellow linebackers to run around, but it also affects him personally, as he and Wilfork are close friends.

"Obviously Vince has been a staple for a long time and he rarely goes down with an injury, so it's very shocking and surprising to see my friend go down like that," he said.

Guard Logan Mankins, another team captain that has worked opposite of Wilfork during innumerable practices, understands the value of what the burly nose tackle brings to the defense.

"Vince is a big-time challenge," he said. "Not only [is he] strong and powerful, but he's quick for a man his size and he's a smart player."

While Wilfork is often thought about in regards to his run defense contributions -- he's the foundation for the Patriots in that sense -- he is a productive member of the team's pass rush, too.

"He just pushes the pocket, he's always collapsing the inside and helps the edge rush," Mankins said of Wilfork as a rusher. "He just does so many things for us."

As was the case last night when Wilfork departed the game in the first quarter, the Patriots will fall back on their tried-and-true remedy when there's an injury.

"We always talk about next man up, and we have a lot of talented guys on our team," Mayo said. "I think Vince got hurt in the first quarter yesterday and guys stepped up and played well for him. We ended up getting the victory, which is always a good thing, but that's our mentality, next man up."

On Sunday night, it was a pair of rookies, Joe Vellano and Chris Jones, who wound up earning more playing time than they've been accustomed to (it was Jones' Patriots debut), and they held their own, helping to limit Atlanta to just 58 yards rushing.

"Those guys, they play hard, they're always in the film room," Mayo said of Vellano and Jones. "The coaches always have them ready to go and I think football is all about preparation during the week, and those guys prepare well and came in the game and did some good things."

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn’t shed any new light on Vince Wilfork's Achilles injury on Monday morning, telling reporters on a conference call that the defensive lineman was undergoing tests but he otherwise did not have information on his injury.

“I really don’t know much right now,” Belichick said, adding that with the late game Sunday and traveling back Monday, he hasn’t had a chance to talk to the medical staff.

Wilfork left Sunday night’s victory against the Falcons in the first quarter and did not return. A league source indicated early Monday that the injury was a torn right Achillies and would likely sideline him for the season.

“He’s a great player, we all know that, and he gives us great leadership,” Belichick said. “He’s a strong contributor on and off the field and in the locker room. ... We’ll just have to see how things come together for him. Obviously if he’s not there, everybody will have to pull a little bit more weight on their end.”

Belichick did indicate he might have more information later Monday.

“It’ll all come together here at some point during the day,” he said.

ATLANTA -- It's the obvious question: Who might the Patriots sign to fill the considerable void created with Vince Wilfork reportedly tearing his Achilles?

Some thoughts:

Most likely option. A practice-squad promotion for first-year player Marcus Forston or rookie A.J. Francis.

Forston is a University of Miami alum who has been mentored by Wilfork, also a Miami alum. The Patriots liked Francis enough to claim him on waivers from the Dolphins at the final roster cutdown. Either player would add depth behind Tommy Kelly, Joe Vellano and Chris Jones, who are already on the roster.

If the Patriots stay in-house, the biggest trickle-down effect is that it will likely mean an increased role for Vellano, who opened the year as the third tackle. The undrafted rookie from Maryland averaged 26 defensive snaps per game through Week 3. His snaps obviously spiked considerably higher than that on Sunday night.

Vellano (6-foot-2, 300 pounds), a hard-working player who might be considered undersized by NFL standards but who wins with technique (e.g. third-quarter sack versus Peter Konz on Sunday), was one of the surprise stories of training camp.

Armstead another in-house option, but status unclear. First-year player Armond Armstead, who isn’t eligible to practice until after the sixth week because he’s on the reserve/non-football illness list, is more of a wild card. It is unclear if the former Canadian Football League player, who the Patriots were initially counting on as a No. 3 option at defensive tackle before he underwent surgery for an infection before training camp, will be ready to help the team this year.

Those with past connections. Kyle Love and Ron Brace remain free agents, and while the Patriots released both players in hopes of moving on, perhaps the team would now view them differently with Wilfork injured. In more of a long-shot scenario, Richard Seymour would also fall into that category.

The pure nose tackle type. Similar to when the Patriots traded for Ted Washington in 2003, and then brought in Keith Traylor in 2004, the Patriots could tap the veteran market for a big-bodied, two-down nose tackle type. Would someone like longtime Pittsburgh anchor Casey Hampton have anything left, assuming he'd even be interested? The concern, in general terms, is that an older, bigger nose tackle who hasn't been in a training camp usually is often viewed as a greater injury risk. That's why this is viewed as a less likely option than an internal promotion.

ATLANTA -- When building a house, nothing really matters if the foundation isn't sturdy.

When considering what Vince Wilfork means to the New England Patriots -- in light of Shalise Manza-Young's report in the Boston Globe that Wilfork has a torn Achilles and is almost certainly out for the season -- think of a house's foundation.

He's the sturdy guy in the middle, the 6-foot-2, 325-pound mountain of a man with uncommon athleticism whose stats don't always reflect his impact.

Losing him puts the Patriots on shaky ground.

Because foundation players are rare, expect the Patriots to rely on multiple players to attempt to fill the void. There is no one replacement. Right now, it's veteran Tommy Kelly and rookies Joe Vellano and Chris Jones at defensive tackle. It's unclear if Armond Armstead might return to health and be an option when he's eligible to come off the reserve/non-football illnes list.

We've seen Wilfork's impact only grow in recent years. Consider his playing-time stats:

2009: 51.8 percent
2010: 69.8 percent
2011: 86.8 percent
2012: 81.3 percent

The Patriots have overcome injuries to key players in the past, so this isn't anything new to them. But Wilfork's injury ranks as one of the most significant, and one of the toughest voids to fill.

ATLANTA -- Midway through the fourth quarter, we were ready to write it in all capital letters for the New England Patriots: BEST WIN OF THE SEASON.

Then came a near collapse, so let’s just call it the best win of the season.

They did it in the Georgia Dome, one of the toughest places for visitors to emerge victorious. They did it against an Atlanta Falcons team that since 2008 has only lost back-to-back games three times. And they did it after taking control of the game with a commanding 17-point lead with 6:18 remaining. But then they almost gave it away after about half of the sellout crowd had headed to the exits.

Talk about creating your own adversity, then overcoming it. That’s what Sunday night’s 30-23 victory represented for the Patriots: a 60-minute roller coaster of sudden swings with a happy ending.

For those curious how players reacted, it was mostly a happy Patriots' locker room afterward, even though it seemed like quarterback Tom Brady wasn’t in the smiling mood. Maybe he was just exhausted. Or maybe he was peeved that a fumbled snap on fourth down with 1:54 remaining, when the Patriots needed to advance just a few inches to seal the win, nearly cost the team a victory.

Instead, it took cornerback Aqib Talib's fourth-down pass breakup, in the end zone, to finally extinguish the threat.

“We slugged it out,” Brady said early Monday morning. “We came to Atlanta, which is a tough place to play. They have a very good team. It’s nice to win and be 4-0.”

“I’m really proud of the way our team played today,” coach Bill Belichick said. “They made a good example of what it takes to win in the league, and that’s 60 minutes of good football. We have to do a better job of finishing out the game. Obviously we could have played a little better in the end, but it’s good to be 4-0 and get out of here with a win.”

As one player was quick to remind a reporter, few pundits predicted the Patriots would be in this position, which was a reminder that media buzz does resonate inside the locker room walls at times -- stuff like the Patriots defense needing to prove it can shut down a top-level quarterback, or the inconsistent offense being able to hold up its end of the bargain.

There will be fewer questions about the defense after this one, and anyone who might have doubted Talib’s value to the unit has to be having second thoughts. He’s been a big-time difference maker, the first real shutdown man corner the team has had since Ty Law (1995-2004), and he showed it again Sunday night.

But that doesn’t mean there are not concerns. Starting defensive tackle Vince Wilfork left the Georgia Dome with a protective boot on his right foot after being carted to the locker room in the first quarter. Belichick was speaking with Wilfork’s wife, Bianca, outside the team’s locker room after the game -- a conversation that both obviously hoped they wouldn’t be having.

The Boston Globe reports Wilfork has a torn right Achilles tendon and likely is done for the season.
Meanwhile, promoted cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, who started in the base defense over Kyle Arrington for the first time this season, hobbled off late and didn’t finish. And rookie receiver Aaron Dobson left in the third quarter with a neck injury and never returned.

So the Patriots left Atlanta a battered team. But it’s safe to say they aren’t as bruised and beaten as the Falcons, who were steamrolled by a power running game that had shades of 2004, when Corey Dillon was tearing up opposing defenses. The Patriots, who owned a decisive size advantage over the Falcons, wanted to play old-fashioned big-boy football.

Wide-smiling 250-pound running back LeGarrette Blount, who romped for a 47-yard touchdown run at the start of the fourth quarter, relayed to the media that that was the crux of Belichick’s message all week -- physical play.

That’s why Brady had only nine pass attempts in the first half, the Patriots preferring to keep it on the ground (they only had three possessions) before their passing game erupted in the second half. Receivers Julian Edelman (7 catches, 118 yards) and Kenbrell Thompkins (6 catches, 127 yards and a TD) were immense.

“I’m just playing football and trusting the older guys to put me in the right spot for the plays that are being called,” said the unassuming Thompkins, whose diving 18-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter was similar to a play he failed to make in Week 2 against the New York Jets.

The play, in a sense, epitomizes the growth that players such as Thompkins and the Patriots have shown in a short time. And if the past is any indication, they should only get better.

When there was 6:31 remaining, and it was 30-13, it didn’t seem like a stretch to say the Patriots were putting together the type of performance that brought back memories of their Super Bowl championship past.

It had all the makings of the BEST WIN OF THE SEASON.

The ending, and near collapse, almost changed everything.

.

ATLANTA -- Observed in the locker room after the New England Patriots' 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome:

Physical football the key: The final player to conduct interviews in the locker room was running back LeGarrette Blount, and, to a degree, the bruising 250-pound running back epitomized the team's offensive approach. "We wanted to be physical," he said of the Patriots' power running game. Blount said coach Bill Belichick had stressed that message to players early in the week. In a cramped locker room, it was Blount, fellow running back Stevan Ridley and several offensive linemen who drew big media crowds.

Mostly positive despite near-collapse: While quarterback Tom Brady didn't seem overly enthused, perhaps because of the way the offense couldn't close things out, one player said it was mostly a positive message from Belichick to the players. "Hey, we're 4-0. And we had a lot of doubters out there," one Patriot said, pointing out that the author in this space was one of them. In his postgame news conference, Belichick said: "I'm really proud of the way our team played. They made a good example of what it takes to win in this league, and that's 60 minutes of good football."

Talib's play draws raves: The first player whom media members swarmed was cornerback Aqib Talib, whose pass breakup in the end zone on fourth down sealed the win. Belichick raved about his performance, saying Talib has played well going all the way back to spring camps.

Wilfork's status a natural concern: Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork's wife, Bianca, attends almost every road game, and Belichick was seen speaking with her after the game. Naturally, the Patriots are concerned after Wilfork was carted to the locker room in the first quarter. Wilfork was later spotted with a protective boot over his right foot.

ATLANTA -- Some halftime thoughts with the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons tied at 10:

Power running: This has been attitude football for the Patriots as they ran it 10 straight times on their touchdown drive. The Patriots are a bigger team than the Falcons and it seems as if they made a conscious decision to play power football against an undersized defense. The Patriots have been running well out of almost every package, including their three-receiver grouping, which the Falcons matched with a nickel.

Limited-possession game: This has been a limited-possession type of game, sort of like how some of the old Tom Brady/Peyton Manning duels went down. This means margin for error is thin and every possession counts. The Patriots and Falcons each had four series in the first half, with the Patriots' final possession coming after the Falcons scored a touchdown with 38 seconds left in the second quarter (they kneeled on the ball).

Defense hanging tough: After the Falcons’ offense surged on its opening drive, only to be held to a field goal, this conclusion can be drawn: The Patriots’ defense, mixing its looks, has mostly risen to the challenge against the best quarterback (Matt Ryan) the unit has faced this season. Linebacker coverage remains an issue and safety Steve Gregory's breakdown contributed to Tony Gonzalez's 21-yard touchdown with 38 seconds remaining in the second quarter, but overall, this is a half the defense will probably mostly be happy with. Ryan has to be kicking himself for missing a fourth-down throw to open receiver Roddy White, so while the Patriots have stiffened in critical situations, some of the Falcons’ red-zone struggles (a big issue for them entering the game) were of their own doing.

Still no Wilfork: Defensive lineman Vince Wilfork, who was carted off in the first quarter, has not returned to action. The Patriots are rotating the remaining three players on the depth chart -- veteran Tommy Kelly and rookies Joe Vellano and Chris Jones.

Patriots presence felt in crowd: It’s definitely a majority of Falcons fans in the Georgia Dome tonight, but there’s a noticeable Patriots presence as well. That came to the forefront when the Falcons were stopped on fourth down. Plenty of cheers heard.

Setting up the second half: The Patriots get the ball to open the second half.

ATLANTA -- Following 15 minutes of play, the New England Patriots trail the Atlanta Falcons 3-0. Passing along quick-hit notes and observations from the first quarter:

1. Falcons start fast, settle for field goal. As has been the case throughout the season, the Falcons started fast, taking the ball down on their opening drive and advancing to the Patriots' 5-yard line. That was the extent of their success, however, as the Patriots clamped down and limited the Falcons to a field goal. Considering the ease with which Atlanta made it to the red zone, holding the Falcons to a field goal was a win for the Patriots' defense.

2. Wilfork shaken up. The heart and soul of the Patriots' defensive line, nose tackle Vince Wilfork, was shaken up on a play on the opening drive and forced to leave the game. Members of the Patriots' medical staff examined Wilfork's right ankle before taking him on a cart to the locker-room area. The team later announced that he is questionable to return.

3. Jones drawing steady dose of Talib. It hasn't been exclusively Aqib Talib on Falcons receiver Julio Jones, but we've seen quite a bit of the Patriots' top cornerback shadowing Jones around the formation. That's something we saw last week with Talib following Vincent Jackson around. Thus far, Jones has just one catch.

4. Ridley shoulders load early. Last week, Brandon Bolden got the early touches and LeGarrette Blount finished with the most rushing yards, but thus far it's been Stevan Ridley leading the way from the backfield. Ridley already is at 59 yards of total offense.

5. Penalty box. The following Patriots were flagged for penalties during the first quarter: Bolden (illegal shift) and safety Kanorris Davis (illegal formation).