Devin McCourty Injury: Updates on Patriots Star's Ribs and Return

Updates from Sunday, Oct. 12

The Patriots confirm Devin McCourty is active for Week 6:

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New England Patriots star safety Devin McCourty left Sunday's Week 5 game against the Cincinnati Bengals with a rib injury.

The Pats' official Twitter account reported that McCourty wouldn't return to action:

NFL.com's Chris Trapasso felt McCourty's absence could loom large:

After the game, Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald eased some of the concerns of fans:

McCourty and New England's defense had done enough to keep the Cincinnati offense mostly off the board, as Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has led the charge in a return to form for the home team in Foxboro. With the outcome in little doubt, the biggest concern is that McCourty is healthy moving forward.

Entering Sunday's game, McCourty and the Pats secondary had the top-ranked pass defense in the NFL. Losing someone like him on the back end would be a big detriment to the momentum New England has generated with Sunday's strong overall performance.