Damien Harris on crutches after suffering thigh injury vs. Vikings

BOSTON -- The Patriots finished out their Thanksgiving night loss without one of their two primary running backs, and the outlook may not be great for Damien Harris.

The fourth-year running back took his final handoff of the night on the Patriots' opening drive of the second half against the Vikings, running up the middle for no gain. The Patriots listed Harris as questionable to return with a thigh injury, but downgraded him to "out" later in the game.

After the game, Harris was on crutches, according to MassLive's Chris Mason.

"As Harris sat at his locker, he muttered a stream of expletives, and at one point summoned a Patriots staffer for a different pair of pants because the ones he'd worn appeared too painful to put back on," Mason reported.

Harris led the Patriots in rushing yards in both 2020 and 2021, but he took a back seat to Rhamondre Stevenson this year as the lead back. Still, in nine games, Harris has run for 383 yards and three touchdowns on 84 carries, while also catching 13 passes (on 16 targets) for 75 yards.

Stevenson has proven capable of carrying the load offensively, leading the way with 151 carries for 680 yards and four touchdowns, along with 50 receptions for 359 yards and a receiving touchdown. 

But the Patriots are a bit thin if they are without Harris, who's already missed two games this season. In his two missed games (at Cleveland, vs. Indianapolis), the Patriots got just 19 yards on 14 combined carries from Kevin Harris, Pierre Strong and J.J. Taylor.

The Patriots and Damien Harris won't get extra rest, despite playing on Thursday, as they'll host the Bills next Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.