ARLINGTON, Texas -- The New England Patriots were blown out by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in the worst loss of Bill Belichick's head-coaching career, and they also lost two of their best defensive players to injuries.
Standout outside linebacker Matthew Judon left the 38-3 loss in the fourth quarter and was later diagnosed with a torn right lower biceps tendon, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. He is expected to be sidelined indefinitely, the source said.
Judon's teammates sounded like they were bracing for an extended absence.
"Devastating," veteran defensive tackle Deatrich Wise Jr. said. "He was in good spirits. We'll be with him mentally throughout this year and I know he'll be with us too. There will be some guys behind him stepping up and filling his spot."
Judon was injured after reaching out his right arm in an attempt to tackle running back Deuce Vaughn.
Meanwhile, cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for September, was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury.
The Patriots initially said Gonzalez was questionable to return but they officially ruled him out early in the third quarter.
Asked about the severity of the injuries to Judon and Gonzalez, coach Bill Belichick said after the game: "We'll see."
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Gonzalez tackled Cowboys running back Tony Pollard on a 5-yard run to the right sideline. Gonzalez attempted to return to the defensive huddle before taking a knee as members of the athletic training staff came to check on him. He was holding his right arm close to his body.
The Cowboys took immediate advantage of Gonzalez's absence, with quarterback Dak Prescott hitting receiver CeeDee Lamb for a 20-yard touchdown on the next play.
That gave the Cowboys a 10-3 lead, and things quickly spiraled downward for the Patriots the rest of the half as they trailed 28-3 at halftime -- the largest halftime deficit the team has faced in Bill Belichick's 24-year tenure as head coach, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The Patriots were thin at cornerback entering the game, and Gonzalez's injury put them in a more vulnerable position, with reserves Myles Bryant, Shaun Wade and Jalen Mills next on the depth chart.
Gonzalez, a first-round pick out of Oregon, entered Sunday having played all but one defensive snap through the first three games of the season. He had 16 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception and 3 passes defensed entering the game.
The Patriots (1-3) host the New Orleans Saints (2-2) next Sunday.