The A.J. Brown injury took one of the best toys New England gave Drake Maye this offseason and shelved it. Brown is now out until at least Week Six, which means Maye has to dig deeper into the Patriots’ toy box and figure out what else he can play with.
This is not how the Patriots wanted to start the season: broken down and unusable, even though so much money has been spent on shiny A. J. Brown. The Patriots’ gloom isn’t without reason. Since Brown was drafted in 2019, he leads the entire league in catches and yards on tight-window targets. This just adds more room for a tantrum now that Drake Maye’s go-to guy is out for at least another five weeks.
The A.J. Brown injury lands him a suspension, but for the Patriots’ season, it may amount to nothing more than a warning.
Week One already showed what happens when Maye starts pressing. Three fourth-quarter interceptions turned a winnable game into chaos and a complete collapse. All of that happened with a healthy A.J. Brown on the field. With the prized action figure out, the Patriots need a better game plan.
Losing Brown obviously isn’t good for New England, but it may not be all bad for Drake Maye. It might force him to become more patient; it could help him distribute the ball instead of waiting for his favorite toy to come back out of its packaging. The Patriots’ offense may discover that removing its dangerous receiver is a little like taking the batteries out of the controller and telling everyone to keep playing.
There’s no hiding behind the A.J. Brown injury. New England still has to move the ball, and Maye needs to protect it like a preschooler holding their baby blanket.
Pittsburgh hardly looked unstoppable in Week One. The Steelers beat Atlanta 20-13, but their offense is still finding itself under a new coaching staff. Let Christian Gonzalez deal with DK Metcalf and force Pittsburgh to string together long drives instead of giving up explosive plays. The Patriots’ offense just needs to be competent; not spectacular.
Maye needs to make Aaron Rodgers more uncomfortable than bringing up Olivia Munn and the COVID vaccine at the newly reacquainted family dinner table.
With someone else taking Brown’s seat, Maye will have to find new friends. The problem is that quarterback chemistry isn’t something the Patriots can easily substitute. Drake Maye will have to figure out where everyone is and where they’re moving to, who can recognize the same coverage he sees, and who he trusts enough to throw to before the receiver even breaks. That kind of trust usually takes time. New England doesn’t have the same offseason time to prepare for this assignment. They’re going to have to make do with what they have. The A.J. Brown injury is a fumble, not a complete loss.
Until Brown returns from his ankle injury, DaQuan Jones will be one of the veterans New England turns to. The 12-year NFL veteran began his career with the Tennessee Titans, where Mike Vrabel already knew him. After Brown went down, the Patriots brought Jones in on a one-year deal, giving New England an experienced replacement who already knows what his head coach expects.
No magic trick turns Mack Hollins, Romeo Doubs, or Kyle Williams into A.J. Brown overnight. But there’s also is no “I” in team… or A.J. Brown. The Patriots don’t need Brown to beat Pittsburgh. New England signed Jones in the same transaction announcement that sent Brown to IR, but he obviously isn’t replacing Brown’s production at receiver. Jones is enough of a brick—well, you know the rest—to hold his own up front as a 320-pound defensive tackle in a front that already features Christian Barmore and Milton Williams. In his last season with Buffalo, DaQuan Jones produced three sacks, 25 quarterback pressures, and nine run stuffs.
A.J. Brown goes down, and everybody starts crying over spilled milk. The injury report isn’t even cold yet.
Hollins already showed chemistry with Maye in Week One, including converting a fourth-and-nine after Brown left the game. Kyle Williams brings legitimate vertical speed, DeMario Douglas can work underneath, and Romeo Doubs has an immediate chance to erase an ugly Patriots debut.
Have we also forgotten about a Mr. TreVeyon Henderson? He was a full participant in practice this week after missing a good portion of the preseason and Week One with an ankle injury. The Patriots would be foolish to ask Maye to solely hold the team against T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. Get Henderson involved. Run the football and use screens. Get Maye moving out there. Marcus Jones remains one of the most dangerous returners. One explosive return can easily shorten the field and remove the need for the offense to have to maneuver an 80-yard drive without A.J. Brown.
The Patriots are down one superstar receiver, but up one human refrigerator. I still like their chances.
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