FOXBOROUGH, Mass — The Patriots were back at Gillette Stadium, with attention completely centered around preparing for the Chicago Bears.
New England is ready to go and prove themselves in primetime.
Here's what I heard:
It's On To The Next Game For A.J. Brown
A.J. Brown knows Sunday wasn't his best performance, but the star wide receiver isn't taking any time to dwell on that. Instead, he's focused on the next game.
"I'm not really going backwards because it's over now," he told reporters on Tuesday. "I watched the film. You know, I put it in bed, and I'm looking forward."
However, he was able to find one silver lining in it all.
“I think that was the hardest part, you know, getting open," he explained. "I just didn’t make the play."
Brown emphasized that nothing about his process is changing this week, as he is getting ready to "go out here and make plays and leave it at that."
Plus, it also helps that he has the full faith of his quarterback.
“I mean, it’s A.J. Brown,” Maye explained. “Last week is what it is. You know, I wish I had some throws back and, throw some targets his way. And I think it’s part of this league. You want to, you know, make a play so bad. You want to have plays back. There are plays which I want back every week, and that’s part of it.”
Offensive Line Injury Updates
When asked if he anticipates offensive guards Ben Brown or Alijah Vera-Tucker being available this week, head coach Mike Vrabel kept his answer short: "Probably not."
However, there was one silver lining, which was that he isn't ruling out starting right tackle Morgan Moses, who left Sunday's game early with an ankle injury and was seen with a boot on his right foot after the game. On Monday, the Patriots released an estimated injury report that had Moses listed as a limited participant, and on Tuesday, when the team held a walkthrough on the field, he was once again limited. But him being out there in general is already an amazing sign.
If Moses is good to go, he will likely jump right back into his starting spot, with Matt Pryor and Walter Rouse likely lining up at the guard positions.
"It was fun to watch those guys take advantage of the opportunity. They helped us," Vrabel explained. There was a huge drive at the end of the game, to go down there and be able to take time off of the clock. Again, we would've loved to finish with a first down there at the end, but we didn't. But, to go up two scores is somewhere where we were happy to be.
And that provides the team with a little more flexibility with Caleb Lomu, who they can move inside if it came to it.
"I think that Caleb will have to be ready to go at multiple positions," Vrabel said. "We were getting ready for him to have to be able to pull the ball in the game in a different scenario. So, where that ends up being on Thursday, he'll have to be ready for a couple spots.
Kevin Byard Returning To Chicago
Byard spent the past two seasons with the Chicago Bears before signing with the Patriots this offseason and talked about his return to his old stomping ground.
"Ben Johnson's going to have some tricks up his sleeve. It's a prime-time game. He's going to want to show off his great plays and expertise. So definitely looking forward to that," Byard explained. "Ben Johnson wants to run the ball. I think as much as people talk about his pass game... like his number one philosophy is run the football."
Romeo Doubs On IR
After making an impressive touchdown catch, Doubs remained down on the ground with a shoulder injury. He left the game, and then was placed on injured reserve the day after the game.
So, is there a timeline for his potential return along with the four games he must miss?
“The expectation is that he’ll work hard and get treatment,” Vrabel said. “But to say I know exactly when he’ll be back, I don’t think that’s fair to anybody. I think Rome was continuing to build confidence and ended up being a huge play in the football game, to make that play, the X play. It’s just unfortunate. I think he was just continuing to grow and develop. We’ll have to figure things out without him here for a little while, and I’m not sure how long that’ll be.”
As for Brown, he said he had to apologize to the receiver cause he tried to pick him up after the injury, not realizing he was injured.
"I didn't know he was hurt, and he was celebrating on the ground. And when I picked him up, he started to scream a little bit in some discomfort," the receiver said. "It's tough to lose a guy like that. I think he started to get hot and actually help this offense. So all of us, we have to pick up the slack and keep it going."
Drake Maye Addresses His Impressive Bounce Back
Maye went from throwing one touchdown and six interceptions in the first three games of the season, to now having thrown 10 touchdowns and one interception in these past three games.
So, what's the reason for the change?
"I think just getting back to trusting the guys around us, trusting myself, trusting what I'm seeing and just getting back to finding a groove early in the game," he said. "I kind of mentioned earlier in the season about wanting to make a play so bad and just letting the game come to you. I think that's one of the biggest things I've tried to focus on. You want to make the right play instead of the big play. And I've tried to really own that, get us in the right plays, try to protect the football and realizing that was really the main thing.
"We were moving the ball and just finding ways to hurt ourselves. Speaking for myself, I couldn't get out of my own way. Just trying to get back to that and knowing the guys that we have, the players that we have and the player that I am to get back out there and get things going."
A.J. Brown On Jalen Hurts' Blood Clot Diagnosis
Brown was asked about his former teammate, quarterback Jalen Hurts, who will miss the rest of the season after doctors found blood clots in his lungs.
“It’s a tough situation. Got a lot of love and respect for him. Praying for him,” Brown said. “Didn’t know how serious it was. I think all of us kind of found that out. He’s a tough guy. He can handle anything, and I don’t mean that lightly. I know that’s serious, but he can handle it. And I pray God continues to keep his hand on him. So, it’s a lot of love and respect from this way. So speedy recovery.”
Mike Vrabel Praises TEs
With the number of injuries impacting the wide receiver room, the Patriots will have to rely more on their tight end duo of Eli Raridon and Hunter Henry. Vrabel took a moment to praise them both on Tuesday.
"I think he's tried to figure out how to block people at this level, and that's something that I don't know how much experience," he said of Raridon. "I think he blocks better now than what he had shown in previous exposure. I think that he's growing and gaining confidence each and every day. He's an exciting young player that's fun to work with."
With Henry, he highlighted the versatility and leadership he brings.
"He's been a consistent presence since I've been here. He's a veteran leader," Vrabel expressed. "He's performed and produced each and every year of his career. Quarterbacks like guys that are dependable."
Other Notes
- Drake Maye on being named the Patriots' NFLPA Rep: "Yeah, it is true. The guys voted me to be the rep, and I think it's an honor. It's an honor to represent this team, represent the Patriots, and to represent the players and the players in this league. I’m going to try to gain some knowledge about how the league works and knowing that this position carries a lot of weight in this league. I don't really have much else other than, like I said, to get some knowledge about it, try to represent this team. I know Coach Vrabel was the player rep here. Just trying to make sure that the coaches and players are doing all right."
- S Kevin Byard on QB Caleb Williams: "He's one of the most talented quarterbacks I have ever seen up close and personal. Like, he can make every throw from any platform... His will to win. His will to want to go out there and fight for his teammates every single day. He obviously is extremely athletic. He's probably one of the toughest quarterbacks to actually sack in this league, especially in the pocket. He's going to make the first guy miss almost guaranteed every time. So it's going to be a huge challenge for us."
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: What I’m Hearing at Gillette Stadium: Tuesday Talk (Week 7)