FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are still undefeated. But it was hard for some of them to enjoy their 27-10 victory over Washington at sun-drenched Gillette Stadium.

Dion Lewis, the team’s dynamic and popular running back, went out with a knee injury in the third quarter. He gained 14 yards on a screen pass from Tom Brady, but at the end of the run he planted his left foot to make a move, then went down. It appeared on television replays that he grabbed his knee as he went down.

The extent of the injury wasn’t known Sunday night, but it’s likely he’ll miss some time.

Starting left tackle Sebastian Vollmer left in the second quarter because of a head injury and did not return, further thinning an offensive line that had only six active players at the start of the game. That forced Coach Bill Belichick to move second-year right tackle Cameron Fleming – who started the year on the practice squad – to left tackle and put second-year center Bryan Stork – playing his first game of the season after coming off the short-term injured reserve list – at right tackle.

Head injuries are not something the NFL takes lightly anymore. We’ll see how long Vollmer is out.

Tom Brady finished the game behind an offensive line that had a left tackle (Fleming) who had never played that position before, a left guard (Josh Kline) who was an undrafted free agent, a rookie center (David Andrews) who was an undrafted free agent, a rookie right guard (Shaq Mason) who missed the last two games because of a knee injury, and a right tackle (Stork) who was playing in his first game and had played the position just once, in 2013.

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That the Patriots won, many players said afterward, was another indication of the preparedness and versatility of everyone on the roster.

“That how we’re built,” said cornerback Logan Ryan. “It’s been like that for a long time. You know the mantra: ‘Next Man Up,’ and ‘Do Your Job.’ I think it speaks volumes when it shows on Sundays.”

But Matthew Slater knows it’s not that easy.

“It’s hard,” he said. “It’s hard to enjoy the win when your teammates are going down on the field. You try to look at the positives, but you’re thinking about those guys.”

The game goes on. It doesn’t stop for anyone. Slater knows that.

“You have to try your best not to (think about them),” he said. “Obviously, in the case of Dion it’s hard not to think about it when you’re out there. You do the best you can to refocus.”

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When Lewis was injured, Slater was among the first out to him.

Lewis walked off the field and Brandon Bolden stepped in, scoring the Patriots’ last touchdown moments later on a perfectly-thrown 18-yard pass from Brady.

That’s just the way the NFL is, not just in New England, but everywhere. Players have to step into roles they might not otherwise play. They have to replace injured teammates, and they’re expected to perform.

“We take pride in going out there and doing our job and finishing and stepping up,” said Slater.

“We take pride in adjusting to those tough situations like today when players go down, but at the same time it is very difficult.”

Asked how difficult it was to see Lewis go down, Julian Edelman said, “I mean, that’s one of your brothers and you never want to see someone go off the field. And it’s terrible because I’ve been in that situation when you’ve been hurt and you know how he feels, and you put so much time and effort into this thing. All you can do is send good vibes to him and hope he’s OK.”

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Did it take away from the win?

“We work hard for these wins and it definitely does because he’s a factor on this team,” said Edelman. “It’s part of the game, but it (stinks).”

Slater seemed particularly shaken by Lewis’ injury. After missing the 2013 season because of an injury, Lewis was cut by two teams in 2014 and sat out most of the season. He came to New England and was second on the team in rushing (234 yards) and third in receiving (36 catches, 388 yards).

“Dion is a great kid, really,” said Slater. “His attitude throughout this whole process has been great. I think maybe when he first came here, the expectations weren’t very high for him by a lot of different people, but the kid has done a great job and is a great teammate.”

But the game marches on. The Patriots play the New York Giants on the road next week.

“It’s very tough,” said Slater. “As players, every time we take the field we know that we’re putting our bodies at risk and we just pray that we get out of there unscathed. Whenever you’re in that situation and see something like that, it’s very tough mentally and emotionally to move forward.

“I guess that’s part of being a professional. You have to do it when you can.”

And the Patriots do it better than most.

 

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