FOXBOROUGH, Mass — A win is a win, but there is certainly a lot to correct and work on following Sunday's divisional matchup against the Miami Dolphins. The New England Patriots returned to Gillette Stadium, taking the day to reflect on the victory.
So, here's what I'm hearing at Gillette Stadium:
Could A.J. Brown return this week?
On Wednesday, A.J. Brown popped up on the injury report with a new knee injury and then was absent from practice the following two days. After being listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Miami, he was downgraded to out before the team traveled. Brown has already had one stint on injured reserve, but there have been some reports indicating that he could go back on the list as this could sideline him for a few weeks.
However, Vrabel isn't willing
to make that determination. The head coach was asked if it's possible for Brown to take the field this week.
"Yeah, we'll see. We'll see how he progresses here through the week. He's been getting treatment here, and we'll see when we get to Wednesday what those guys that were unavailable for the game look like, and then also whatever came up here during the game."
Mike Vrabel provides injury updates on 3 key offensive weapons
In the win, the Patriots suffered yet another offensive injury scare as tight end Hunter Henry left the game with a foot injury and did not return. So, is there any update on the severity of his injury?
"I don't have any expectations yet. We'll see how he responds here," Vrabel said. "He wasn't able to finish the game. So, we'll see where he is, and I know Hunter will do everything that he can to get back to help us, and we'll go from there."
However, on a more positive note, the Patriots have two players who are eligible to return from injured reserve this week: wide receiver Mack Hollins and fullback Reggie Gilliam.
"Potentially, yeah," Vrabel said about their chances of coming back this week. "Again, those guys are all working hard. We've got a long list of those guys, and I think Jim [Whalen] and his staff, and obviously Frank [Piraino] and his staff are trying to do a great job with the return to play. We'll see here where we come out from the game, where guys can help us and the spots that you have to make to get those guys back. So, there's a lot of moving parts. We'll try to make sure that the player is ready to return to practice. Then also, if they were to be available for the game, and then make the corresponding moves that would have to occur."
Andy Borregales' struggles
This season, Borregales has missed three field goals from distances of 40, 38, and 47 yards, as well as one extra point.
"He has, and that needs to get corrected. I've got a lot of confidence in Andy," Vrabel explained. "I think when you see the timing and when the approach is in rhythm, it looks really good. We have to make our kicks. Everybody has a job here. There's no real message. It's, 'Hey, we've got to make them.' But I've got a lot of confidence.
"I thought he did a really nice job on the kickoff with the ball placement. Hopefully, he's making a lot of extra points and not having to kick a lot of field goals."
The head coach was also asked if the team intends to bring in any kickers this week, but he didn't seem to indicate that they plan to do that.
The Lan Larison roster decision
Despite having two elevations remaining this season, the Patriots signed running back Lan Larison to the active roster. And with that, it brought up questions and speculation that TreVeyon Henderson might be a trade candidate, as he missed Sunday's game with an illness.
On Monday, Vrabel was asked about this decision.
"Well, we just had a spot open and felt like that would give us some flexibility down the road," he replied.
Other notes
- Vrabel on Rhamondre Stevenson: "He’s always willing to do whatever he can to help the team, whether that's pass protect, whether that's being able to catch the ball out of the backfield or his ability to run and give us some tough yardage there and some good runs. Then, like you saw at the end of the game there with the onside kick. So, I think by his actions, it's always easy to see that he cares about the team. Again, he's helped us win a lot of games last year and helped us win a few here this year. So, I appreciate what he does each and every week."
- Vrabel on Cory Durden: "I'm happy always for Cory or any of our players that have success. I tell Cory this all the time, if he plays a certain way with his pad level and plays with extension, that he can impact games. When he gets high and looks for the ball too soon, sometimes they block him. He's got great energy, and we have to use that to his advantage and make sure that we're not doing anything after the snap, which I always remind him of. I love his energy and try to make sure that it's always positive."
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: What I’m hearing at Gillette Stadium: Monday buzz (Week 9)
