FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — One of the biggest fears for the Patriots defense when middle linebacker Jerod Mayo went down with a season-ending knee injury last Sunday came to fruition Thursday night in a 27-25 win over the New York Jets.

Mayo, the main communicator in the center of the Patriots defense, was charged with getting his teammates in the correct pre-snap position with the help of the helmet device used to hear calls from the coaches. When Mayo went down, it was naturally assumed that his cerebral contributions would be missed as much as his physical ones.

UP NEXT FOR PATRIOTS

WHO: Bears (3-2) at Patriots (5-2)

WHEN: 1 p.m. Oct. 26

TV: FOX

Additional Photos

New England Patriots middle linebacker Jerod Mayo (51) is carted off the field after being injured on a play in the first half against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y. The Associated Press The Associated Press

After the Jets rushed for 218 yards – the most allowed by the Patriots this season – it became clear that Mayo’s absence was a key factor for many of the chunk yards given up in the run game.

On Thursday night, linebacker Dont’a Hightower had the responsibility of calling the plays, and on Friday he owned up to his shortcomings in that regard on certain plays.

“There was a couple (times where communication was the issue),” Hightower said. “But maybe a handful of those were maybe blitzes that they thought were coming from the opposite direction which would cause us to lose the edge on certain plays, some guys not getting in the right gap and then creating a play.

“But communication is really just something we’re going to have to pick up,” he added. “That’s one thing that Mayo did was communicate with everybody. But, it is what it is. That’s something that me and Jamie (Collins) are going to have to take more ownership of and we’re going to get that down pat.”

Defensive lineman Casey Walker also pointed to a few cases where a miscommunication on a run blitz created a gaping hole for Chris Ivory (107 yards and a TD on 21 carries) or Chris Johnson (61 yards on 13 carries).

“Same as I said (Thursday) night – we had bad communication,” Walker said. “Some of their runs – well, a majority of their runs, their successful runs – they came from us. It’s not what they did; it’s what we didn’t do.”

JETS: New York officially announced a trade with Seattle for wide receiver Percy Harvin. Seattle received a conditional draft pick.

The Jets get a star from last season’s Super Bowl but a player who is injury prone. Harvin brings versatility and game-breaking skills to the Jets, who have lost their last six games to fall to 1-6.

New York released receiver David Nelson to make room for Harvin.

The 26-year-old receiver has played in 60 games with only 47 career starts since being a first-round pick by Minnesota in 2009. He was traded to the Seahawks in 2013 for a 2013 first-round and seventh-round draft choice and a 2014 third-rounder.

He appeared in just one regular-season game in 2013 because of hip surgery. But Harvin ran back the second-half kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown in Seattle’s 43-8 rout of Denver in the Super Bowl.

Seahawks: Seattle placed defensive end Cassius Marsh on injured reserve Saturday and signed tight end RaShaun Allen and safety Steven Terrell from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

PANTHERS: Carolina downgraded the status of running backs DeAngelo Williams to out for Sunday’s game at Green Bay.

Saints: New Orleans cut tight end Tom Crabtree, who was signed after a Week 5 injury to Jimmy Graham but never played in a game. Crabtree was replaced by lineback Todd Davis.

WASHINGTON: Defensive end Stephen Bowen as activiated from the physically unable to perform list Saturday.

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