The New England Patriots are set to be without star wide receiver A.J. Brown for at least the next month after he landed on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain.
It’s a significant loss for the Patriots’ passing attack, but one that will not force the team to overhaul its offensive approach. Instead, New England will count on a group effort to replace its top wideout.
“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,” head coach Mike Vrabel said. “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.”
Among those that is expected to see an increase in playing time is second-year wide receiver Kyle Williams, who played 12 snaps in the opener, mostly in relief of Brown in the second half.
“We want to get Kyle involved. I’ve tried to talk about that,” Vrabel said. “I’m hopeful that Kyle can find a role for us and find a way to help us, using his speed and catch and run opportunities like we saw last year at times or some shot-type plays.”
In his limited Week 1 action, Williams was not targeted by Drake Maye. But moving forward, a more “locked-in” and “focused” Williams is ready to take on a bigger role now that he has a better understanding of Josh McDaniels’ offense in his second season.
And while his big-play ability was on display last season and this preseason, he knows he has more to offer in that role.
“A lot. I mean, if I wanted to really go, I’d give you a Christmas list, for real,” Williams said. “But I can do a lot, man. And just when those opportunities present itself, that’s when I’ll be able to show it. But I know I’m more than just speed.”
Veteran Mack Hollins will also continue to see more opportunities come his way. Hollins led all Patriots wide receivers with 50 snaps in Week 1 while also leading the team with 51 receiving yards
“Mack’s always taking advantage of his opportunities. I think that the quarterback knows he’s going to be in the right spot when he’s supposed to be there,” Vrabel said. “Mack’s been through that a lot, and we’re comfortable being able to move him around as well in those multiple positions.”
The Patriots will also need more from free-agent addition Romeo Doubs.
In his Patriots debut, Doubs finished with zero catches across his three targets. Doubs has a bad drop on a wide-open pass that proceeded an interception, while another target in his direction was also picked off. Still, his head coach is not losing any faith.
“He dropped a pass. You know what I mean? Guys, 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, and he did a lot of great things during camp, just like everybody did. And so, I know he’s excited to get back out there, get to work and to find a way to help us win.”
While the Patriots wide receiver room — which also includes Efton Chism III — is a deep group, removing Brown from the equation will be a significant loss to overcome. The star receiver started strong in the opener, recording three catches for 26 yards while drawing a 40-plus-yard pass interference penalty to set up the team’s first score.
“Everybody’s disappointed for him, and he’s disappointed,” Vrabel said. “He wants to play. He’s a competitor, and we’ll have to get him back as quickly as possible. Obviously at a four-game window, and make sure that he’s ready to go mentally and physically when he does get back.”
Brown’s high-ankle sprain is reportedly expected to keep him out closer to six weeks. While the team is hoping for a speedy recovery, the receiver group is ready to pick up the slack in the meantime.
“Just hoping for a speedy recovery, get him back on the field, because we definitely do need him. But I mean, one man down is the next man up,” Williams said. “I think that’s everybody’s mentality in every room. So, we just got to keep approaching how we’ve been approaching it from the spring all the way up until now, and just hopefully nothing really changes or alters what we’re trying to do.”
