The Patriots shifted focus to the Chicago Bears this week after a tough outing for A.J. Brown in their last game. Brown acknowledged his struggles but is already looking ahead, refusing to dwell on what went wrong. “I’m not really going backwards because it’s over now,” he said on Tuesday. “I watched the film. You know, I put it in bed, and I’m looking forward.” He admitted that getting open was the hardest part and that he simply didn’t make the plays he wanted to. “I just didn’t make the play.”
Brown said his preparation remains unchanged. “I’m getting ready to go out here and make plays and leave it at that.” His quarterback, Drake Maye, expressed confidence in Brown despite last week’s performance. “I wish I had some throws back and throw some targets his way,” Maye said. “There are plays which I want back every week, and that’s part of it.”
The Patriots face uncertainty on the offensive line, with guards Ben Brown and Alijah Vera-Tucker unlikely to play. Head coach Mike Vrabel gave a brief update when asked about their availability: “Probably not.” However, Moses, who left the previous game early with an ankle injury, is a hopeful presence. He was seen with a boot on his right foot after the game but was listed as a limited participant in Monday’s injury report and again limited during Tuesday’s walkthrough. Moses’s potential return would allow him to reclaim his starting right tackle spot, with Matt Pryor and Walter Rouse expected to fill the guard roles.
Vrabel praised the effort of Pryor and Rouse when they stepped in. “It was fun to watch those guys take advantage of the opportunity. They helped us,” he said. The team managed a significant late-game drive to run down the clock and go up two scores, though they fell short of securing a first down. The performance gave the Patriots some flexibility with Caleb Lomu, who Vrabel said will need to be ready to play multiple positions, possibly pulling the ball in different scenarios.
Kevin Byard is preparing to face his former team, the Chicago Bears, on Thursday night. Byard spent the past two seasons in Chicago before signing with New England this offseason. He spoke about returning to Soldier Field with a mix of anticipation and respect for Bears coach Ben Johnson. “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,” Byard said. He noted the Bears’ focus will be on the running game despite widespread attention on their passing attack. “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.”
The Patriots also confirmed that wide receiver Romeo Doubs is on injured reserve after suffering a shoulder injury last week. He made an impressive touchdown catch before going down, but will miss at least four games due to IR rules. Vrabel said the timeline for Doubs’s return remains uncertain. “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.” The coach expressed regret over losing a player who was just gaining momentum. “He was just continuing to grow and develop. We’ll have to figure things out without him here for a little while.”
Brown recalled an awkward moment after Doubs’s injury when he tried to help him up not realizing the severity. “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,” Brown said. He emphasized the need for the team to compensate for Doubs’s absence. “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.”
Maye has seen a dramatic turnaround this season after a difficult start. He went from throwing one touchdown and six interceptions in the first three games to 10 touchdowns and one interception in the past three. Maye attributed the change to regaining trust and playing more cautiously. “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. “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.”
Finally, Brown was asked about former teammate Jalen Hurts, who will miss the rest of the season after doctors discovered blood clots in his lungs. Brown described the situation as difficult but did not elaborate further. The Patriots now prepare to face the Bears in primetime, hoping to build on their recent progress despite injury setbacks and the need for key players to bounce back.
According to Yahoo Sports.