With A.J. Brown on the sidelines for at least another month due to a high-ankle sprain, it seems like the New England Patriots' plan will be to spread the ball around and give everyone on the offense a chance to eat.
And this is 100% the right call.
There's a reason the Patriots traded for Brown in the first place and are going to greatly miss his presence: he's a legitimate deep threat who should open the field for the rest of the team. Right now, there isn't a single other player on New England's offense who can replicate that and almost act as a stand-in for the Mississippi native, and it doesn't make any sense for the team to try and force anything.
Plus, Josh McDaniels has a history of scheming offenses without a clear-cut No. 1 receiver (even as recently as Mac Jones' rookie year in New England), so there are reasons to think that the offense can actually stay afloat until Brown makes his return.
The Patriots spread the ball around in Week 2 win without A.J. Brown
In their first game without Brown this season, the Patriots secured a 20-3 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers (a legitimately good defensive team, by the way), and just about everybody who entered the game on offense made some type of impact.
Nine different players had a reception for the Patriots in Week 2: Romeo Doubs enjoyed a much-needed bounceback performance, Hunter Henry recorded three receptions on a team-high five targets, Eli Raridon recorded a 30-yard reception, and Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas, Rhamondre Stevenson, Kyle Williams, and even Efton Chism and Reggie Gilliam got in on some of the fun.
Replacing a three-time All-Pro receiver like Brown isn't going to be an easy task, regardless of who you have on your roster. Making up for his absence is going to be more than a one-man job, and it's going to be up to the rest of the offense to step up and fill the void. And while there is still another level they can reach, they achieved their goal for the most part in Week 2.
Obviously, New England will want to have Brown back on the field as soon as possible since the offense will never reach its full potential with him on the shelf. But if their win against the Steelers was any indication, it looks like the Patriots' game plan without him has the potential to work. At least for now.
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