FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Running back Stevan Ridley has been the New England Patriots’ lead back for the past three-plus seasons. He had 1,200 yards in 2012. He shared the load with LeGarrette Blount last season. But with Ridley going down with a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee last Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, New England doesn’t really have a proven, veteran option to turn to in the backfield this fall.

The running back depth chart includes passing back Shane Vereen, versatile veteran Brandon Bolden and rookie fourth-round pick James White, who has been inactive for five of the first six game. Big back Jonas Gray is on the team’s practice squad.

According to quarterback Tom Brady, it could take all those guys stepping up to help the ground game moving forward, and he has faith that the committee approach can get the job done.

“I would say I’m confident with all those guys that are out there,” Brady said. “Those guys are working hard, that’s why they’re here, because coach (Bill Belichick) feels like they can contribute. All those guys, whether they’re on the practice squad at some point, there’s going to be an opportunity. That’s just the way the NFL is.

“You start with a certain amount of players at the beginning of the year and as the year goes on every week teams are hurt with injuries and you have another guy that gets called up. But all the work that you’ve done in practice has hopefully prepared you. You sit in all the same meetings that all the other guys sit in. You’re getting, maybe not quite as many reps, but you’re being coached the same way.

“When you get your opportunity, that’s what you have to take advantage of. You don’t know how many opportunities you’re going to get in the NFL and when you get your one, you better be ready to take advantage of it.”

With Ridley gone for the season, those opportunities will start coming for the other running backs this Thursday night against a tough New York Jets defensive front.

While it’s clear that both Ridley and linebacker Jerod Mayo are out for the season after suffering major knee injuries in Buffalo last Sunday afternoon, the team has yet to put either player on injured reserve. Both are officially listed as Out for Thursday night’s game with the Jets. The team certainly could promote players from the practice squad, such as Gray or linebacker Darius Fleming.

Belichick said the team would decide on potential roster changes by the game against New York, but the late nature of the moves would seem to indicate it more likely to be in-house promotions rather than outsiders.

“I think that’s something that we’re just going to have to evaluate here in the next day or two,” Belichick said Tuesday. “I’ve talked with Nick Caserio and our coaching staff and Nick’s staff and we’ll just have to try to figure it all out here. Like you said, it’s a real short week. So, we’ll just have to take all those things into consideration and try to figure out what we’re going to do – if we would make one and who it would be and so forth. We haven’t decided that yet. We’ll see how it goes here.”