FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — One thing is certain about the New England Patriots’ running game.

Stevan Ridley won’t be part of it for a while.

Just who will play an increased role after the Patriots’ top rusher suffered a serious right knee injury remains a mystery.

Shane Vereen is the primary backup, but his greatest value is as a receiver. Brandon Bolden is a special teamer who rarely plays offense. Rookie James White has been active for one game. Jonas Gray has been on the practice squad all season.

Whoever sees more action won’t face the stiffest competition Thursday night when the Patriots (4-2) play the Jets (1-5).

“I’m confident with all those guys that are out there,” quarterback Tom Brady said Tuesday. “You sit in all the same meetings that all the other guys sit in. You’re getting, maybe not quite as many reps, but you’re being coached the same way.”

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The injury comes just as the Patriots’ offense is rolling. They scored 80 points in the past two games after totaling the same amount in the first four.

Ridley hurt his right knee in the third quarter of Sunday’s 37-22 win over the Buffalo Bills. He leads the Patriots with 340 yards rushing, has run for more than 100 yards twice this season and his 21 touchdowns on the ground since 2012 lead the AFC.

The Patriots have declared Ridley out for the game but haven’t made a roster move with him or linebacker Jerod Mayo, who was carted off the field in the second quarter Sunday after hurting his right knee.

Ridley appeared distraught while being helped off, but Gray has seen him since then.

“He’s a pretty upbeat guy,” Gray said. “He stays pretty positive about stuff. He’s been through a lot in his career, period, so this is just another setback for a big comeback.”

Bolden was signed as an undrafted free agent before the 2012 season. In his third game as a rookie, he rushed 16 times for 137 yards and a touchdown. But in 28 NFL games, he has just 126 carries for 570 yards.

Can he carry the ball 20 times in a game and still be effective on special teams?

“I’ll have to see if that happens,” Bolden said. “That would be great to hear it, but I’m just going into this game just doing whatever they ask me to do, whether it’s special teams or offense.”

NOTES: CB Brandon Browner expects to make his Patriots debut after a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy then sitting out the past two games. LB Dont’a Hightower was limited with a knee injury after missing the past two games but figures to play and take over the defensive signal calling from Mayo.


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