New England Patriots fans shouldn't give up on A.J. Brown just yet (he's only played two full games with the team so far), but it's clear that he needs to be way better than he has been.
Through parts of three games with the Patriots (remember: he left the season opener early due to a high-ankle sprain and missed the next four games), the Mississippi native has recorded nine receptions on 20 targets (not very efficient), 101 yards, and no touchdowns. It also seems like every other pass thrown his way is a drop.
He also looks slow on his routes, has struggled to get separation (specifically against the Chicago Bears on Thursday night), and hasn't been even close to advertised.
I'm not going to give up him yet, though, because 1) it's still very early in the season, 2) he returned from a high-ankle sprain injury just a week ago, 3) he's on a new team, in a new system, and playing with a new quarterback--he's going to need time to find his rhythm, and 4) he at least is stretching the field and opening up opportunities for other players (Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon combined for 10 receptions, 127 yards, and a touchdown against the Bears because the middle of the field was open).
But it's not like he's an unknown commodity. We know exactly what Brown is (was?) capable of, and we're not seeing that at all.
A.J. Brown is fresh off an injury, but his play with Patriots is still a concern
Brown hasn't looked good with the Patriots so far. In addition to being slow, his pass-blocking has been questionable, and his effort has been under scrutiny (it probably wouldn't have been a touchdown anyway because of the coverage, but there was a deep pass Drake Maye threw his way against Chicago that he didn't try to jump for).
But at the end of the day, I'm not A.J. Brown, and there's a 99.999999999% chance you aren't either. We have no idea if his performance has been due to a lack of effort, or him still finding his groove after being on the shelf for a month, or if his ankle may still be bothering him.
And that's the frustrating part: we know he's struggling, but we don't really know why yet.
Still, it is fair to say he should be better than he has been. An ankle injury shouldn't prevent him from catching wide-open throws that are five yards downfield (which he did multiple times against the New York Jets in Week 6; but also, it's not like he just forgot how to catch, right?), and given that he doesn't have someone like DeVonta Smith (or even Romeo Doubs) lined up on the opposite side of the field, it's going to be easier for opposing defenses to zero in on him.
He's also 29 years old and has a degenerative knee condition. To call it like it is, we have most likely already seen the best of Brown from an athletic and physical standpoint. It's not like he's 35 years old, but he's also been around for a little bit.
I'm not going to say he's washed up or anything like that yet. Brown does deserve some patience, and once he gets the monkey off his back (a touchdown, one 20-yard reception, whatever it is), things should look up and follow suit after, but until then, he has a lot to prove to the Patriots and the fanbase.
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