A.J. Brown owns rough Patriots return despite win over Jets
Brown acknowledged an off-timing day after three drops in New England’s 26-19 win in his return from injury
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The New England Patriots got A.J. Brown back on the field and beat the New York Jets 26-19, but the receiver did not describe his return as a success. Brown had a career-high three drops and a muffed onside-kick recovery attempt, according to Mike Reiss, and said his timing was off.
Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss): News story: A.J. Brown rusty in return with career-high 3 drops and muffed onside recovery attempt. “My timing was off. I’m much better than what I put on display today. There’s no excuses. I’ll be better.” https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/50213864/patriots-aj-brown-career-high-3-drops-return-injury
Brown said in Reiss' post: “I’m much better than what I put on display today. There’s no excuses. I’ll be better.” It was his first game back after New England activated him from injured reserve. The uneven performance adds a different note to a week that began with the Patriots working toward his return.
The Patriots won despite those missed opportunities. Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes in the 26-19 result, giving New England enough offense to withstand the Jets' late push. Brown's assessment was about his own execution, not an explanation for the result.
The return itself still matters: Brown was available in a game New England won. His comments make clear that availability and a polished connection with Maye were not the same thing on Sunday. The next step is the work between games, rather than a conclusion drawn from one rusty outing.