No ‘I’ in Vince Wilfork’s team

FOXBORO - The last time we saw Vince Wilfork [stats] on a football field, the scene and lasting image certainly was not a comforting one.

Wilfork flung his helmet in disgust while hobbling off the field, as he apparently reinjured his left foot in Sunday’s 20-10 win for the Patriots [team stats] over the Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams had just sprung for a 26-yard run with 11:57 to go in the third quarter, leaving Wilfork down in a heap and done for the day.

Before the half, the mammoth nose tackle suffered the initial injury. He was down for a longer period of time, attended to by trainers. Eventually, he got up, and walked off the field under his own power. His return was “questionable,” but when Wilfork is involved, questionable means ”good to go.”

Many athletes probably wouldn’t have bothered, or risked further injury, but that’s not Wilfork. Even in a contract year, he went back out there and gave it a go. Maybe that’s why fans adore and appreciate him so much. Maybe that’s why he’s currently leading all AFC interior lineman with 221,195 votes in the latest Pro Bowl tabulations released by the NFL.

Along with being a force at his position, along with taking on double teams, he always plays hard and he’s always willing to play hurt.

Wilfork did not practice yesterday and was not seen in the locker room, but he did make an appearance Tuesday night at Ira Toyota in Milford to promote Toys for Tots.

The good news was Wilfork did not show up in a wheelchair, nor was he on crutches. By one account, he did walk with a bit of a limp. He did his best to reassure those in attendance he would do what was necessary to be able to play Sunday in Buffalo in a key AFC East game against the Bills. Wilfork signed every autograph and mingled for hours, talking shop and promoting positive feelings about the Patriots, even if those are in short supply at the moment.

While he may not have the new contract he so craves, that hasn’t stopped Wilfork from remaining both dedicated and loyal, unlike some well-paid teammates who haven’t been able to get to work on time, and haven’t been able to refrain from knocking the coach.

And while the defense may be fine to move on without the services of a player like linebacker Adalius Thomas for a game, or more, the Pats would have to scramble should Wilfork be a no-go against the Bills and beyond.

The Pats survived the second half of the Carolina game without Wilfork, but they wouldn’t want to roll the dice the rest of the way without him.

“He means a lot to the defense,” fellow lineman Ty Warren [stats] said yesterday. “The nose tackle position is a real important position on this defense and he’s done a good job playing that position all year.”

Linebacker Rob Ninkovich has gotten his first taste of having Big Vince as a teammate, as that clog in the middle of the line.

“Vince is a beast,” Ninkovich said. “He’s a good leader, a good player out there. He’s got skills. You just can’t teach the kind of things he has. He’s a guy that’s 340 (pounds) I’m guessing, that can run, that’s agile, that stops the double teams, that stops the run. He’s great for our team because he’s such a good leader. He just helps in all aspects of the game.”

All that help and dedication is likely to earn Wilfork only a franchise tag designation, something in the neighborhood of $6 million-$7 million for a defensive tackle, as opposed to a long-term deal with a lucrative signing bonus. But that’s not why he tossed away his helmet Sunday. He hurled his lid because he could no longer help his team that day.

“The thing about football that’s frustrating is when you’re playing really well, then you get injured,” Ninkovich said.
“A guy like Vince, it really gets to him.”

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(bostonherald.com)