FOXBORO - The Patriots may be getting a major boost at receiver sooner than expected, and the clearest sign yet came from the locker room on Thursday.
A.J. Brown, sidelined since suffering a high-ankle sprain in the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, was seen in the Patriots locker room for a second straight day. He came in wearing cleats, showed no visible limp and had a small tape job on his right ankle.
Brown also seemed to be in good spirits. He was chatting with Drake Maye and Mack Hollins at his locker while untying his cleats, and he spent time speaking with reporters before the rest of the team headed to practice.
That kind of scene is encouraging for a player the Patriots are planning to activate off injured reserve. Brown was placed on IR after the opener, which meant he had to miss at least four games. Earlier reports suggested the absence could stretch to six games, but the way he looked Thursday points toward the shorter end of that range.
There is still one hurdle in front of him: Brown has to sit out the Patriots’ Week 5 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. For now, that is where the team’s focus remains.
"He won't be out there today, I can promise you that because he's not eligible," Mike Vrabel said Tuesday. "I can only speak to what I know for today."
The timing matters because the Patriots’ receiver group has taken more hits. Mack Hollins, who filled in right away after Brown went down in Seattle, suffered a calf injury in Week 4 and has not practiced this week.
Once Brown and Hollins are both back, the Patriots could finally put this passing game back together the way it looked in the season opener. Brown went down before the Seahawks game got away from New England, and after the injury, Drake Maye threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter as the Patriots dropped to 0-1.
"Excited to get A.J. back here in a little bit, and hopefully Mack can get back here as soon as possible," Efton Chism III said this week. "We love our room, we love our team."
Chism has helped fill the void with Brown out, which says plenty about the depth in the receiver room. But getting Brown back - and back into the chemistry he started building with Maye in training camp - could be exactly what this offense needs to get moving.
In Other News...
Patriots May Have Found An Unexpected Special Teams Difference Maker
The Patriots win over the Bills had plenty of moving parts, but one of the more encouraging developments came from a rookie who is quickly carving out a role beyond defense. Linebacker Erick Hunter has started to stand out on special teams, where his willingness to play heavy snaps and finish tackles gave New England a jolt in a tight 29-26 victory.
For a team that is always looking for hidden value on the roster, Hunters early impact matters because special teams can swing games that are otherwise decided by thin margins. His work in that phase helped tilt the field against Buffalo, and it has given the Patriots another young player worth watching as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Safeties Are Heating Up Before Their Biggest Test Yet
Through three games, Kevin Byard and Craig Woodson have started to look like a back-end pairing the Patriots can trust, and their timing has shown up in both the communication and the versatility New England has leaned on in the secondary. The two safeties spoke after the recent win about how their chemistry has grown, with each handling the kind of moving pieces that can make or break a defense in September.
The next test comes against the Raiders, and it is not a soft one for a group trying to keep building momentum. Las Vegas brings tight ends that can stress a defense in different ways, which puts added importance on the Patriots safeties staying in sync and clean with their assignments. For Byard and Woodson, the challenge is less about proving they can talk the part and more about showing they can carry that communication into another difficult matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Maye Just Gave Patriots Fans Another Reason To Believe
Drake Mayes latest step forward arrived on a big stage, and it came with the kind of recognition that tends to reinforce what Patriots fans have been seeing on Sundays. After leading New England past the Bills in a 29-26 win, Maye was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career, rewarded for a poised afternoon that included 269 passing yards, three touchdown throws and another 54 yards on the ground.
For a Patriots team still looking to define its identity, those are the kinds of performances that matter beyond the weekly award. Mayes rise is starting to become part of the conversation around New England again, and with the next game on the schedule, the challenge now is turning one encouraging showing into a consistent stretch that keeps the momentum moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]