The New England Patriots brought wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) back from injured reserve in Sunday’s win over the New York Jets, but his 10-target, 52-snap return came with an immediate complication: Receiver Romeo Doubs (shoulder) is now on injured reserve.
Brown’s workload becomes a central offensive question before Thursday night’s road game against the Chicago Bears. Locked On Patriots host Nick Cattles argued that Maye’s target distribution against the Jets reflected the available reads, not a predetermined effort to get Brown the ball. Cattles said Brown saw only one tight-window target and pointed to a third-and-goal play on which Maye extended the down instead of challenging coverage toward Brown, eventually finding receiver DeMario Douglas for a touchdown.
Cattles also cited the late fourth-down attempt to Brown as a situational throw. With the Jets sending seven rushers, Brown was Maye’s first read and had separation, Cattles said, while Douglas was covered underneath and the deep alternative would have required a lower-percentage throw into double coverage.
The more consequential part of the film review is what comes next. Cattles said Brown’s drops, not his ability to separate, changed the perception of his return. Brown finished with three catches for 27 yards in the 26-19 victory, and the Patriots’ official film review described the connection as rusty after Brown’s four-week layoff.
Doubs’ absence narrows the margin for a gradual Brown ramp-up. Mack Hollins is already on injured reserve, leaving Douglas, Kyle Williams and the tight ends as the top receiving options around Brown. The Patriots also signed receiver Ryan Miller to the practice squad after placing Doubs on injured reserve.
New England heads to Chicago on Oct. 22 with Brown likely to remain Maye’s primary outside option. The offense does not need to manufacture targets for him, as Cattles framed it, but it may need Brown to handle another substantial role while the receiver room absorbs another injury.
Patriots News and Notes
– Rookie tackle Caleb Lomu earned a positive review from Cattles after stepping in for Morgan Moses. Cattles credited Lomu with a strong protection rep against Jets edge rusher David Bailey on Douglas’ touchdown and said the rookie allowed only one pressure in his review.
– Cattles identified the run defense as an urgent issue for the Bears matchup after Jets running back Braelon Allen averaged 4.6 yards per carry. He said the breakdowns spanned the defensive front, linebackers and secondary, while safety Kevin Byard’s missed tackles stood out on film.
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