The Patriots are heading back to Gillette Stadium for the first time this season, but they’ll do it without one of their biggest offseason additions. A.J. Brown is out for today’s matchup with the Steelers after suffering a right high-ankle sprain in New England’s 13-10 loss to the Seahawks.
Brown’s injury came in the third quarter of his Patriots debut, when he went up to make a play on a pass from Drake Maye. He left the game and never returned, finishing with three catches for 26 yards on four targets. It was a brief first showing in New England, and one that ended with the offense suddenly missing a major piece.
The Patriots acquired Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles to give Maye another proven target, but that plan hit an early snag. His absence leaves New England with another adjustment to make on offense after opening the year with a loss.
After further evaluation, the Patriots placed Brown on injured reserve, which means he will miss a minimum of four games. Sources said he is expected to be sidelined for a minimum of four games because of the injury, and Brown’s return will depend on how he progresses through recovery.
With Brown out, New England will likely lean more on Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams to handle bigger roles in the passing game. The Patriots need those receivers to step up now, because one of the team’s key new weapons is going to be on the shelf for a while.
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Patriots Showed Needed Fight In A Win That Came At A Cost
The Patriots finally got the kind of win they had been chasing, beating the Steelers 20-3 and showing more bite on both sides of the ball than they had in the seasons opening stretch. TreVeyon Hendersons 39-yard touchdown run gave the offense a jolt, while the defense kept Pittsburgh out of rhythm and got key late takeaways to put the game away.
Christian Gonzalez did a strong job matching up with Metcalf, and the overall effort looked like a team that was starting to find its edge. Still, it came at a cost, with Mike Onwenu and DreMont Jones among the players who left with injuries, leaving New England with a little less to celebrate than the final score suggested. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Face A Dangerous Problem In Steelers Matchup
Carlton Davis has been ruled out for the Patriots home opener because of a neck injury, leaving a noticeable hole in a secondary that was already going to be tested. New England now has to lean more heavily on less experienced cornerbacks against a Steelers passing game that, even without one of its key wide receivers, still brings enough firepower to make that absence matter.
The timing is not ideal for a defense trying to settle in early at home, especially since the Patriots did not make any practice squad elevations after Davis was downgraded. That leaves the depth chart a little thinner and the margin for error a little smaller, with a division of labor now shifting to players who will have to hold up in a real early-season stress test. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Week 2 Could Bring A Weather Problem Fans Should Watch
Week 2 is shaping up as the kind of NFL slate where the forecast may matter as much as the injury report, and Patriots fans should have one eye on the sky before kickoff. Around the league, weather is already part of the conversation for several games, with rain chances and gusty winds on the board, and those conditions can ripple through everything from the passing game to kicking decisions and how often teams lean on the run.
For New England, the bigger takeaway is not to overreact too early, especially with fantasy football lineups and game-planning assumptions. Weather can turn quickly, and what looks manageable early in the week can change by Sunday, so the safer move is to keep checking the updates rather than locking in on one snapshot and hoping it holds. [Read more 🡒]