New England Patriots
“I mean, it’s A.J. Brown.”
The Patriots will travel to Chicago for a primetime matchup against the Bears on Thursday, just four days after they defeated the Jets at Gillette Stadium.
It’s a brutal turnaround for the Patriots, especially given the various bumps and bruises that Mike Vrabel’s team suffered in that scrappy win over New York.
But A.J. Brown seems to be one of the few Patriots players welcoming an abbreviated schedule this week.
After all, the 29-year-old wideout only needs to wait a few days to wipe the slate clean after a lackluster return to game action on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
New England posted a 26-19 win over the Jets, but Brown’s home debut in Foxborough didn’t exactly go according to plan.
After sitting out the previous four games with a high ankle sprain, Brown only reeled in three catches off of 10 targets from Drake Maye — with three critical drops potentially negating two touchdowns for New England.
It was a bizarre performance from Brown, who hasn’t been plagued by drops over the course of his NFL career.
But given his track record and the expected rust that came with a stint on injured reserve, Brown wasn’t fretting over his performance on Sunday.
“I think that was the hardest part, you know, getting open. I just didn’t make the play,” Brown said. “I’m not really going backwards because it’s over with now. You know, I watched the film, I put it to bed and I’m looking forward.”
Brown said that his ankle felt fine during Sunday’s game, with his hands being the root cause of his struggles against the Jets.
“I think bumps and bruises from the first game,” Brown said about his health. “Everything but the ankle. So, just trying to get my body going again and get ready to go on Thursday.”
With Romeo Doubs the latest Patriots wideout to land on injured reserve, the Patriots will need a strong performance from Brown on Thursday night.
New England enters Thursday’s matchup at Soldier Field with just four wideouts on its 53-man roster: Brown, DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism, and Kyle Williams.
Count Maye among those who aren’t worried about Brown’s shaky showing against New York snowballing into extended struggles against Chicago.
“I mean, it’s A.J. Brown,” Maye said. “Last week is what it is. I wish I had some throws back and attempts I targeted his way. And I think it’s part of this league. You want to make a play so bad, you want to have plays back, and there’s plays that I want back every week.
“It’s a short week, so we got to get focused on Chicago and knowing that it’s a tough environment we’re coming into with a good team, a good defense, good offense, good all around. They’re well coached. We got a tough challenge, so I’m glad and happy with how we’ve kind of approached this short week so far, and we got some more work to do to try to catch up and get on track.
A game with three drops is a stark outlier for Brown, who has been one of the most dependable pass-catchers in the league over the last few seasons.
Over his last two seasons with the Eagles, Brown was only knocked for one total drop. His 0.8 drop rate in 2025 was the lowest for any wideout with 70 or more receptions.
With Maye hitting his stride — passing for 10 touchdowns with one interception in his last three games — Brown believes that a breakout performance is all but inevitable moving forward.
“We’re always trying to evolve — Not just with [Maye], but just with all the pass catchers and all of us trying to continue to grow in that area, and just go out here and make plays,” Brown said. “It’s nothing to overthink. You throw it and catch it, you make the play.
“Simple as that. I’m gonna keep it very simple because it is, you know? And that’s how I approach the game, and you just gotta keep it pushing.”
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