Our defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks didn’t just beat the Patriots 13-10 in the season opener, they sent New England’s new No. 1 receiver, A.J. Brown, straight to injured reserve with a high ankle sprain. The Patriots gave up a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick to get Brown from the Eagles this offseason, expecting him to be Drake Maye’s go-to guy. Talk about a costly trade, only to have him sidelined right away!
The Emerald City Blow That Shook New England’s Season
Brown suffered his high ankle sprain early in the third quarter of that wild “Super Bowl rematch” against our Hawks. Before he went down, he had caught three passes for 26 yards on four targets. But the moment he left, New England’s entire passing game fell apart. Seriously, Maye threw three fourth-quarter interceptions as the Patriots blew their lead, eventually losing to our boys 13-10. Our Seahawks kicked off their defense of the Super Bowl with a massive statement win, and it left the Patriots reeling, both on the scoreboard and with their star WR gone for at least the next month.
New England’s Receiver Room Is a Hot Mess
Now, the Patriots are without Brown for at least the next four games, missing matchups against the Steelers, Jaguars, Bills, and Raiders. The earliest he can even come back is Week 6 against the Jets. Their receiver room is looking super thin, especially after trading Kayshon Boutte before the season. They’re left with Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, Demario Douglas, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism III. Doubs had a miserable debut, going catch-less on three targets, with one leading to an interception because he made a terrible play, and another being a brutal drop. The guy just inked a four-year, $68 million contract and frankly, he could not have played any worse. He needs to step up in a huge way with Brown out.
Hollins is a coach’s favorite and a fantastic blocker, but he’s just not a dangerous receiving threat, never averaging more than 40.6 receiving yards per game in a season. He put up 51 yards in the opener, but he’s a complementary player, not a top option for Maye. Douglas caught five of seven targets for only 20 yards. He’s mostly a short-area slot guy, good for moving the chains, but probably not going to be that deep threat. This is a massive hit for the Patriots, and it’s all thanks to how our defending champs kicked off their season. Talk about setting the tone for the entire league!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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