The Patriots’ week has been defined by two very different kinds of uncertainty: one surrounding Drake Maye’s health, and another around A.J. Brown’s recovery.
One has only fueled more questions. The other gave the team at least one encouraging sight on Monday.
Maye’s play has become the loudest issue around New England, and the shoulder chatter has only grown as the losses pile up. Some around the league have wondered whether the quarterback is still dealing with the shoulder injury he suffered last postseason, and Mike Vrabel was asked directly Monday morning whether he had any concern about a lingering issue.
His answer was firm enough, though not exactly the kind that ends a debate.
“No, I’m not. I think when you go through an NFL game like that, especially as a quarterback, you get hit.
And again, not to my knowledge anything that would have put him on the injury report. Or any sort of treatment.
I think every player has normal maintenance and rehab they go through ... so that’s not anything I would even consider.
But as you go through a game, I’m sure you get hit. I’m sure things happen. But I don’t anticipate that being an issue going forward.”
That still left plenty of room for interpretation, especially since Maye didn’t do much to clear the air later in the day. On WEEI’s Rich and Ken with Ted Johnson, he was asked point-blank whether his right shoulder and throwing arm were truly 100 percent.
Q: When you said that you don’t believe there’s a problem with your shoulder, are you saying your right shoulder and throwing arm feel 100% physically the same as they did before the injury with no lingering loss of strength or velocity of range of motion, or is there any difference at all?
A: Yeah, it’s similar question to the way I answered it in the post game. I think we gotta - I don’t think that has anything to do with executing and playing better football and realizing that’s the biggest thing that contributes to winning.
That response did little to quiet the speculation. Still, the tape doesn’t scream “shoulder issue” as much as it points to a quarterback trying to find his rhythm, with decision-making and confidence looking like bigger problems than arm strength.
Maye is still making good throws. The concern is what happens around those throws, not necessarily the throws themselves.
Then there was the more encouraging note from the locker room. A.J.
Brown, who is on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain, was seen Monday morning at Gillette Stadium without a boot. Media members also noted that he no longer appeared to have a noticeable limp.
It’s a small detail, but in a season like this, small details matter. Brown cannot return before Week 6, when the Patriots host the Jets, and there are reports suggesting the team could keep him out even longer to make sure he is fully recovered, which could push his return to Week 8 in Miami.
Nothing is settled yet, and a definite timeline still appears to be a few weeks away. Even so, Brown’s progress is a rare positive for an offense that badly needs help, especially with Maye and the Patriots stuck in their current slump before Sunday’s game against the Bills.
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