A.J. Brown Breaks a Patriots Record He Never Hoped to in Home Debut

New England Patriots star wide receiver A.J. Brown played his first full game in a Patriots uniform after missing four weeks with an ankle injury. The notoriously skilled pass catcher couldn't seem to haul in the most important throws in the team's win over the New York Jets.

Brown was traded to New England in the offseason for a 2028 first-round pick and a 2027 fifth-round pick. The former Philadelphia Eagles star and Tennessee Titans star, played less than three quarters of the Patriots' season opener in Seattle.

Making his debut in Foxboro, Massachusetts, Brown's expectation as a reliable pass catcher was severely underwhelming, as the Super Bowl-winning wide receiver recorded just three catches on 10 targets for 26 yards.

Brown's Home Debut Wasn't The Greatest

According to BetMGM, four of his targets were recorded as drops, making it the most amount of times Brown's dropped a pass in one game of his eight NFL seasons. Additionally, Brown's four drops today not only set a career-high for the veteran player, but was the most drops ever recorded by a New England player.

The discomfort was seen early when Drake Maye targeted Brown on a slant route. In a pass that was thrown behind him, Brown seemed to have made an impressive catch — turning his body around and securing the ball beneath his hands. A replay review overturned the call, ruling it an incompletion.

Then, Brown streaked down the field, beating his defender down the right sideline for what would have been at least a 38-yard reception. Maye's pass went through the hands of his receiver, seemingly touching his hands.

Another missed opportunity came in the back of the endzone, with Maye asking Brown to climb the ladder and haul in a ball placed in a spot only he could get to. Brown leaped for it, and couldn't squeeze the ball — missing his first opportunity to score a touchdown as a Patriot.

Then, on back-to-back plays, Maye went to Brown in impactful moments. First, a 3rd-and-five, where Brown dropped a pass off his chest when he created separation on a slant route. The following 4th down play, Maye went back to the 6-foot-1 target for a 12-yard out route. Though it was well defended, Brown couldn't make the contested catch.

The final indication that Brown's hands were of real concern came when the Jets attempted an onside kick to keep the game alive.

Brown was the designated recovery player on the "hands team." As he executed his assignment of falling towards the kick, the ball slipped through his hands — once more — and rolled to the next level of defense, where DeMario Douglas was able to recover it.

"I think he probably could have made a few more plays," head coach Mike Vrabel said postgame. "We have all the confidence in the world in A.J. to be able to finish those plays."

Vrabel also shared that Brown "has to make the catches" whether or not plays are being drawn up for him.

Brown and the Patriots offense will work to correct mistakes from Sunday's 26-19 victory over the Jets, as they hastily prepare to face the 4-2 Chicago Bears on Thursday night.

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