A.J. Brown finally hit the field again for the New England Patriots after five weeks out, but his return was definitely not the fireworks show everyone expected. In Sunday’s gritty 26-19 win over the New York Jets, Brown, who got sidelined with a high ankle sprain in the season opener against our own Seattle Seahawks, played a super minor role. He got targeted a whopping 10 times but only snagged three passes for a measly 27 yards, dropping at least two crucial balls. Oof.
That 61-Yard Miss and “No Excuses”
Man, you gotta feel for Brown coming back from a high ankle sprain, especially one he picked up facing the Hawks in Week 1, but Sunday was a tough look. His chemistry with QB Drake Maye looked like it was still back in August. Early in the second quarter, Maye launched a deep ball down the right sideline for Brown. Our dude, 29 years old and with a step on the Jets’ defensive back, reached out, but that ball just sailed right between his hands. If he’d reeled that in? A 61-yard touchdown, easy money, green turf ahead. That’s a huge swing in momentum!
Then, to make matters worse, in the final 32 seconds, with the Jets trying an onside kick to tie it up, Brown was out there to field it. And he dropped it. Luckily, Corey Kiner and Eli Raridon were there to recover the loose ball for New England. But still, you just know that had to sting. Brown owned it like a pro, though. “No excuses,” he said, flat out. “I expect myself to make each and every one of those plays. The drop, the other drop on third down, on the slant , I am more than capable of making those catches. I’ll be better, that’s all.” That’s the mindset you want to hear.
Maye’s Rhythm and Vrabel’s Faith
It wasn’t all on Brown, though. Drake Maye, his young quarterback, also seemed to struggle finding that rhythm with his primary weapon back. Later in the second quarter, with New England up 7-3, they had a prime chance on third-and-four at the Jets’ 14-yard line to go up by two scores. Maye zipped a quick slant Brown’s way after the snap, but he missed the wide-open receiver who could’ve easily gotten the first down. They settled for a field goal, converted it, but that’s a missed touchdown opportunity.
Despite the rough outing, head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t letting up on his guy. “I thought [Brown] could have probably made a few more plays,” Vrabel admitted, but he quickly added, “He’s been out for a while. I know that he wanted to do well for his football team, and, unfortunately, it wasn’t his best effort. I know that he knows that, and we have all the confidence in the world in A.J. [to] be able to finish those plays.” Vrabel really hammered home that belief, saying, “A.J. has high expectations for himself, and we have high expectations for him as well. [I’m] confident that he’ll come back, do a lot of things and help us here the rest of the season.”
Maye echoed that sentiment, saying it was “great to see [Brown] back out there.” He’s looking forward to “building that connection,” acknowledging, “I think there’s some [on] me and some plays he wishes he had back, but I was just telling him in the locker room that you don’t have to worry about [No. 1]. He’s going to be one of the best players on the field every time he steps on it.”
So yeah, not the comeback story A.J. Brown or the Patriots wanted, especially after that brutal injury against the Hawks back in the season opener. But the message is loud and clear: they’re not hitting the panic button. With that kind of talent and the faith from his coach and QB, Brown’s gotta clean it up fast. The Patriots are counting on him to be that main target, and with the whole season ahead, this connection with Maye absolutely has to click if they want to make any noise. We’ll be watching to see how he bounces back next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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