Patriots Running Game Poised to Get Even Worse as Second Fullback Hits IR

The one thing that can stop the New England Patriots this season seems to be injuries, and the injury bug is doing it's best to slow them down.

The running game especially has been an area of weakness for New England, and now it's set to get even worse.

Already plagued with injuries and failing to produce, the Patriots are set to place fullback Jakob Johnson on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, joining fellow fullback James Develin.

The Patriots have often relied on full backs to open up holes for their running backs. Now, with both Johnson and Develin sidelined, things could get even harder for the Pats' backfield.

The Patriots already rank 28th in the NFL with 3.5 yards per carry, and now they don't have a lead blocker for the struggling Sony Michel. It's reasonable to assume that those numbers are going to take a noticeable dive in the weeks to come.

Johnson's injury will likely spell the end of his 2019 campaign, as the Patriots will have to make a decision on who to activate between Develin, rookie wideout N'Keal Harry and OL Isaiah Wynn, all three of whom are on injured reserve.

It's already been an underwhelming season out of New England's backfield, and the injury to Johnson stands to make things worse.