The injury-ravaged Patriots will be without yet another top weapon for at least the remainder of Sunday night's game against the Texans.
Leading rusher LeGarrette Blount injured his hip on a rush during the second quarter and was ruled out during halftime, the team announced.
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Blount, the Patriots' workhorse running back, rushed for 53 yards on 10 carries before leaving the game. He leads the team with 650 yards rushing on 155 carries this season.
It's the latest injury to the Patriots' decimated arsenal of skill players. With scat back Dion Lewis on injured reserve, they also were playing without top wide receiver Julian Edelman and just welcomed tight end Rob Gronkowski back to the lineup after a knee injury scare.
The severity of Blount's injury and a timetable for his return were not immediately clear.