New England Patriots
“Everybody drops a pass, everybody misses a tackle,” Vrabel said. “You talk to him the same way you always talk to him. Figure out a way to make a play to help us win.”
Romeo Doubs goes through a ball security drill. David L Ryan/Globe Staff
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FOXBOROUGH – The lasting image of Romeo Doubs’s debut for the Patriots was a dropped pass on second-and-14 with the game tied in the fourth quarter.
Drake Maye hit Doubs in the hands with a throw on the run on a crossing route, but the veteran receiver was unable to complete the catch.
With A.J. Brown expected to miss at least four weeks and Kayshon Boutte traded to the Texans, the Patriots will count on Doubs to put fourth a better effort for Sunday’s home opener against the Steelers.
Mistakes happen, coach Mike Vrabel told reporters, adding that his message for Doubs this week hasn’t changed despite the rough start.
“He dropped a pass,” Vrabel said. “Everybody drops a pass, everybody misses a tackle. You talk to him the same way you always talk to him.”
“Figure out a way to make a play to help us win. He did a lot of great things during camp just like everybody did. I know he’s excited to get back out there and get to work.”
Doubs finished Wednesday’s game with zero catches on three targets. Maye tried to hit Doubs on a deep pass, but wound up throwing the ball into double coverage. Doubs leapt for the pass, but it was tipped and Seattle’s Nehemiah Pritchett tracked it down for an interception.
Doubs said after the game that he wasn’t locked in enough during the second-and-14 drop. Vrabel said Thursday that Doubs’s decision-making and route running were sound on the play. Drops happen, he said, but focus can be improved.
Vrabel was asked how much the Patriots’ offense will need to be tweaked in Brown’s absence.
“I mean, I don’t think tweaked is really the answer,” Vrabel said. “I mean, we’re trying to install here and putting guys in spots that are best for them and best for us. And so, I don’t know how much we want to tweak things.
“We’ll go through our game plan, and just like we did when A.J. was out there – sometimes he was the X, sometimes he was the F, the Z. You know what I mean? We’ll have to move guys around to different positions.”
Maye began to target Mack Hollins more after Brown went down with a high-ankle sprain during the third quarter. Hollins played the most offensive snaps (50) of any Patriots receiver Wednesday night. He also led the Patriots in offensive snaps played last season (657).
“Mack’s always taking advantage of his opportunities,” Vrabel said. “I think that the quarterback knows he’s going to be in the right spot when he’s supposed to be there. He’s a competitive player, plays on special teams for us. He’s just ready to go and ready to take advantage of the opportunities.”
Three of Hollins’s four catches came on the final drive, and each of those went for at least 11 yards.
He picked up 19 yards in a 2nd-and-21 situation that set up the first of two fourth down conversions. He picked up the other fourth-down conversion with an 11-yard gain on fourth-and-9. Maye hit Hollins for another 12 yard gain on second-and 17 and tried to reach him again on New England’s final offensive snap, which was picked off by Seattle’s Josh Jobe.
Hollins was the first receiver in line for drills during practice on Monday. Doubs was second.
Brown’s absence will also likely open up opportunities for Kyle Williams and Efton Chism. Williams played just 12 snaps on Wednesday, but his speed is a trait that helped keep him on the roster and is a weapon the Patriots were able to have some success using during the preseason. Chism, whom New England kept on the roster as a sixth receiver, was inactive for Wednesday’s game.
Brown’s injury is a blow to the depth in the Patriots’ wide receiver room, and the way Vrabel navigates the situation will be an early test. Wide receiver was considered to be one of the team’s strength’s heading into the season.
Vrabel has showed patience in the past at spots where the depth was thin. He stuck with kicker Andy Borregales after a pair of missed extra points against the Dolphins. He also stuck with Rhamondre Stevenson after he lost a pair of fumbles against the Steelers last year, including one on the goal line.
With the Steelers back in town for Week 2, Vrabel’s patience with Doubs following a catch-less debut will be tested.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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