The Patriots head into Week 8 with plenty of work to do, and a lot of that burden falls on the players supposed to lift the offense around Drake Maye.
After the Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears, New England sits at 4-3 and now turns to Miami in a game that matters for its position in the AFC East race. Maye was sharp enough against Chicago, but the support around him wasn’t.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown and running back TreVeyon Henderson both came up short, and their quiet afternoon left the offense leaning too heavily on its quarterback.
Brown was supposed to arrive as the Patriots’ No. 1 receiver, but since coming off the injured list, he hasn’t made that look real. In his two games back, he has been targeted 16 times and caught only six passes for 75 yards with no touchdowns. That’s a thin return for a player expected to provide big-play juice and give Maye a reliable weapon when the offense needs one.
The Patriots also need more from Henderson. His game against the Bears faded into the background, another missed chance for a back whose calling card is explosiveness.
So far in 2026, he has 203 rushing yards, a 3.9-yard average, and one touchdown. That’s not the kind of production that changes a game or forces defenses to adjust.
Still, putting all of this on Brown and Henderson alone misses the bigger problem. The offensive line has taken a beating from injuries, and even before that, it wasn’t strong enough to begin with. Maye was sacked twice by Chicago, but the pressure didn’t stop there - he was dodging trouble on plenty of other snaps, too.
One name now being pushed into the conversation is 2026 first-round pick Caleb Lomu. The thought is simple: get him on the field as a starter wherever Mike Vrabel thinks makes the most sense. Lomu has already stepped in capably at both right and left tackle when Will Campbell or Morgan Moses has been hurt during games.
There’s also a case for locking Lomu in at right tackle for Moses, and if that doesn’t happen, starting him at guard instead of one of the current options. Either way, the argument is that he would be an upgrade over Walter Rouse or Matt Pryor. Better protection would help Brown find more clean catches, and it would give Henderson more room to work in the run game.
Brown and Henderson can’t be judged in a vacuum. No one on this offense can create everything by himself on every snap.
But both players still have to do their part - Brown by getting open, Henderson by finding the seams. For that to happen, the Patriots need more help around them.
Whether Vrabel makes that change is the question hanging over Week 8. If he does, New England may have a better shot at getting Brown and Henderson moving. If he doesn’t, the Patriots risk more damage to both their record and their shot at a second straight AFC East title.
In Other News...
Patriots Trade Deadline Focus Is Shifting To A Growing Pass Rush Need
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A few names are already getting discussed as possibilities, with Tuli Tuipulotu, YaYa Diaby and Will McDonald IV all surfacing as edge rushers worth monitoring based on how their current situations line up. None of that means a deal is imminent, but it does show where New Englands attention may be turning if the right opportunity presents itself and the front office decides the pass rush needs more than internal answers. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have A Receiver Situation Fans Need To Watch
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If Nacua were to become available down the line, he would immediately jump to the top of the kind of receiver conversation the Patriots have to be having behind the scenes. The appeal is obvious for a team trying to stabilize its passing game, but there is still plenty of distance between speculation and reality, and the bigger question for New England is how the rest of its receiving depth settles in before that market even opens. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Trade Deadline Watch Centers On A Chargers Defender Who Fits A Need
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One name that fits the profile is a Chargers defender who has been productive on an otherwise struggling team and could appeal to a Patriots defense looking for experienced help behind its starters. Los Angeles is widely expected to listen on deals as its season has gone sideways, which puts a workable fit on the table for New England if it wants to reinforce a position group that could use another proven option. [Read more 🡒]