A.J. Brown’s Patriots debut starts on a sour note after an injury ruins the night for Drake Maye and New England’s offense
The highly anticipated debut of New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown just got cut short, and it was evident that the Patriots’ offense missed him immediately against the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday.
A.J. Brown’s first game in a New England Patriots uniform ended exactly the way nobody in Foxborough wanted it to. The Patriots took on the Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch, and through the first three quarters, the New England offense was largely lifeless. The only time the unit showed any signs of life was when Brown was on the football field.
Brown was the only spark for the Patriots offense
Drake Maye had Brown wide open on a flea flicker but massively underthrew it. Brown still managed to draw a defensive pass interference penalty that set up a Patriots touchdown. He finished his night with three catches and 26 yards before everything took a turn.
Brown left the game early with an ankle injury, went to the medical tent, returned to the locker room, and was officially ruled out as the fourth quarter began.
The bottom line is this: the Patriots offense without AJ Brown is going to be a tough go. I’m going to say that right here, right now.
The passing attack disappeared without Brown
Having Trevion Henderson available probably would have helped, but the bigger issue was what the Patriots got from their other pass catchers. Romeo Doubs was out there running pure cardio. The first time Maye actually targeted him, it was an interception. The second time, he dropped the ball and then Maye threw an interception the play after. That tells you everything you need to know about the state of the receiving corps beyond Brown.
The minute Brown left the football game, the passing attack simply was not there.
Patriots WR room behind A.J. Brown
- Romeo Doubs
- DeMario Douglas
- Kyle Williams
What comes next for the Patriots?
The severity of the ankle injury remains unknown. Is it a low ankle sprain? A high ankle sprain? Did the team pull him as a precaution because it was Week 1? Nobody has those answers yet, and until the Patriots provide an update, the speculation will only grow.
If Brown is going to miss a considerable amount of time, New England is going to have to figure something out, and they’re going to have to figure it out fast. What we saw against Seattle was a passing offense that could not function without its No. 1 weapon.
