"If there's any silver lining to the knee injury Jerod Mayo suffered Sunday, it's that the Patriots have been here before.

In Sunday's 31-19 win against the Raiders, Mayo sprained the MCL in his left knee, which could sideline him for up to six weeks.

Previously, the All-Pro inside linebacker sprained the MCL in his right knee in the season opener in 2009 and missed three weeks. That year, the Pats filled the void by plugging in Gary Guyton. They'll follow the same blueprint now."