There have been several updates regarding New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown over the last 24 hours. Now, NFL Network’s Mike Garofolo provided A new update that seems a bit more concrete. He indicated that Brown would be back in Week 6.
Recently, Tom Pelissero reported that Brown was pushing to return from his ankle injury ‘ as soon as possible.” This Week 6 timeline would push Brown’s return to a divisional matchup with the New York Jets.
In the meantime, it appears that the wide receiver’s timeline has been a bit accelerated per Pelissero as the Patriots offense looks to find another weapon.
“The hope is that he’ll be back Week 6. Now that’s a hope, it’s not a firm one. But that’s when he’s eligible to return. We’ll see how that goes.”
The Patriots Have Struggled Without A.J. Brown
The Patriots offense has struggled mightily without A. J. Brown in the lineup. The team is only found the end zone two times on offense all season. They are also dead last in the NFL, averaging just 12 points per game. This amounts to 36 points across three games, which is their lowest total since 2000.
The lack of a top receiver in Brown has also affected quarterback Drake Maye. He has seven interceptions this year and only one touchdown pass this season. Two of his interceptions have come in the red zone this season. The quarterback has struggled to get the ball to paydirt.
In addition to what Brown could provide in terms of scoring, his absence is also hurting the team as far as third-down conversions are concerned. The Patriots have converted only 32.5% of third downs so far this season. This number puts them near the bottom of the league in that category.
Several Have Stepped Up With A.J. Brown Out
Overall, this offense has not been functioning at as high a level without Brown in the fold. With that being said, others have been able to step it up in his absence. Wide receiver Mack Hollins is the team’s top target. He has 12 catches for 156 yards on 16 targets. The playmaker has the highest target share among wide receivers, ranging in the 70% range.
Free-agent acquisition Romeo Doubs is also starting to put things together. He had a difficult season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, tallying three drops. However, he has improved since then. He has 145 receiving yards and has seen his time on the field increase. He had a 56% snap share in Week 1 and had a 73% snap share in Week 3. The injury to Brown may have opened up some additional opportunities for both those receivers.
That being said, they still do not have the playmaking ability that Brown brings to the table. Brown was brought in to be a top option, while Doubs was supposed to benefit from being a complementary receiver. Hollins functions best in that role as well. Both Dobbs and Hollins have done well with what they’ve been asked to do, but they don’t bring the firepower that A.J. Brown can.
Patriots Could Get Major Offensive Boost in Week 6: Report