A.J. Brown's injury is a huge hit to the New England Patriots. They traded for him in the offseason to give Drake Maye a legitimate No. 1 receiver and deep threat, and the rest of the offense was built around him. Brown is set to miss at least the next three games due to a high-ankle sprain, and it might take a little longer for him to return to form.
Obviously, it would be great to see the Mississippi native on the field right now, especially because of how lackluster the Patriots' offense has looked (they have scored 24 points in two games, excluding the defensive touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2). But his absence could open up the door for the rest of the receivers to turn it up another level, specifically Romeo Doubs.
Romeo Doubs may benefit in the long run with A.J. Brown sidelined
Like Brown, Doubs was someone New England acquired in the offseason, signing him to a four-year, $68 million contract.
The 26-year-old was horrendous in his Patriots debut, recording zero receptions on three targets (and having an inexcusable drop in the fourth quarter), but he more than made up for it in Week 2. Against Pittsburgh (and as the No. 1 target), Doubs caught three receptions on four targets and recorded a career-high 96 receiving yards.
Doubs is a legitimate asset to Maye and New England. His versatility and ability to line up anywhere on the field, along with his presence as a red-zone threat (he led the Green Bay Packers in touchdown receptions in two of his four seasons with them), make him a fantastic complement to Brown, whose gravity should open up the field for everybody else to eat.
With Brown on the shelf, Doubs is taking on a much bigger role, but that might actually be a good thing. This gives him experience carrying a large role in this offense, and it gives him a better opportunity to build immediate chemistry with Maye.
Remember: Doubs isn't meant to be the Patriots' No. 1 receiver. He's not expected to be a one-for-one replacement for Brown, and I'm sure he is going to have another drop or two by the end of the season (this was a problem during his time in Green Bay, too). But he is an incredible No. 2 receiver on this team, and he should be a big part of the Patriots' success moving forward, especially once Brown returns and takes most of the pressure off of him.
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