The New England Patriots are ready to flip the page and focus on the Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
On Monday, Mike Vrabel spoke with reporters, addressing some of the biggest news from over the weekend as well as questions that remain following the season opener. Multiple others also spoke in the locker room, followed by practice, where two key players returned.
Here's what we learned on Monday:
How A.J. Brown injury impacts the receiver depth chart
The Patriots made a splash in June, trading for star receiver A.J. Brown. However, in his debut with New England, he was injured and has now been placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss a minimum of four games. Some reports say he could be out for as many as six weeks.
So, that means the outlook for the Patriots' offense changes,
and Vrabel was asked about any tweaks he might have to make as well as how he plans to "fill the void."
"I mean, I don't think tweaked is really the answer," the head coach told reporters. "I mean, we're trying to install here and putting guys in spots that are best for them and best for us. And so, I don't know how much we want to tweak things. We'll go through our game plan, and just like we did when A.J. was out there - sometimes he was the X, sometimes he was the F, the Z. You know what I mean? We'll have to move guys around to different positions."
As for Brown's spirits, Vrabel said, "everybody's disappointed for him, and he's disappointed."
"He wants to play. He's a competitor, and we'll have to get him back as quickly as possible," he added. "Obviously at a four-game window, and make sure that he's ready to go mentally and physically when he does get back."
...And that might mean Kyle Williams gets more opportunities
With Brown out, that means the Patriots will need Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, and Efton Chism to all step up. And specifically, Vrabel sees an opportunity for Williams to take on a bigger role.
"We want to get Kyle involved," Vrabel said. "I've tried to talk about that and… But yeah, I'm hopeful that Kyle can find a role for us and find a way to help us, using his speed and catch and run opportunities like we saw last year at times or some shot-type plays."
Williams reiterated his coach's comments, saying that while he never wants to see a teammate get hurt, its what can happen in this league.
“Obviously, that’s something that you really don’t want to happen to a key player like that,” Williams said. “Just hoping for a speedy recovery, get him back on the field, because we definitely do need him. But I mean, one man down is the next man up. I think that’s everybody’s mentality in every room. So, we just got to keep approaching how we’ve been approaching it from the spring all the way up until now, and just hopefully nothing really changes or alters what we’re trying to do.”
He added that he knows he can do it all for this team, saying that "when those opportunities present themselves, that’s when I’ll be able to show it."
Two key players return to practice
The Patriots did get some good news on the injury front, with Vrabel confirming before practice that running back TreVeyon Henderson and backup center Ben Brown were set to "try to do some stuff today and see where they are."
Henderson hasn't practiced since Aug. 24 when he suffered an ankle injury, while Brown has been sidelined since the preseason opener on Aug. 13.
However, as for who wasn't seen at practice, linebacker Robert Spillane, quarterback Behren Morton, and tackle Dametrious Crownover were missing on Monday.
Kick returners become clear
Throughout the summer, it wasn't clear exactly who the Patriots kick returners would be. But in the first game, it was Kyle Williams and Lan Larison who were back, with Reggie Gilliam also often coming in as an extra blocker at times for Williams' returns.
"Well, I thought Kyle had a couple decent returns. There was one where we had some confusion which is unfortunate. You can't have free runners on the kickoff. That's not something that you want to do. That's not good for player safety and welfare. But I felt like there are some glimpses there that we could get going," Vrabel said. "Reggie's, that's been a strength of his, whether he's playing at the front line, whether he's playing as an off returner. So hopefully we can clean some of those things up.
"I thought Kyle ran decisively. It didn't look timid. The timing of all these plays are so critical that the returners can judge it, get moving into the football and not be backing up with their hips going back, and then they catch the ball. Now the coverage has already started, and the timing's off. So, there's just a lot of things that we can continue to improve, as far as starting back there with how we catch it, and then obviously the matchups and the angles that get created on that play."
Williams also highlighted Gilliam's blocking abilities.
"You saw Reggie. He lit somebody's a** up. Excuse my language. So that's fun to watch when it happens right in front of your eyes," he said, adding that his confidence has grown as he's gotten more comfortable with the new kickoff.
Patriots signed DT DaQuan Jones
After the first game, the Patriots signed defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, who has extensive experience in the NFL as well as having spent time with Vrabel in Tennessee.
"Well, we've had some experience with him in Tennessee," Vrabel said of the signing. "We got to see him most recently in Buffalo. I think he’s a veteran interior player that I think still has some good snaps ahead of him."
As for this opportunity, Jones joins a room with Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Cory Durden, Leonard Taylor, and Joshua Farmer.
“I’m really looking forward to it. I have a lot of respect for Mike,” Jones said. “I’ve always stated he’s one of the smartest coaches I’ve ever been around. And to see what he did with his team last year, ever since he came here, is just a testament of who he is and how he can kind of motivate and ignite guys and unite guys. And so I’m just grateful to be here and be part of the opportunity and to do anything I can to help this team win.”
Jones added that he had some other offers, but he decided to join New England.
“Mike called, and it’s kind of hard to say no to him,” Jones said. “We talked a little bit and came up here a couple weeks ago, and just kind of kept talking and worked out for the best after that first visit… (Had) a couple of weeks to think about it, and now we’re here.”
Romeo Doubs bounce back
Romeo Doub's debut with the Patriots was certainly not ideal, with the receiver not catching any of his three targets on Wednesday, including dropping a pass that would have given the Patriots a first down. Instead, Maye's next pass was intercepted.
It was clear after the game that Doubs was down on himself, disappointed by his performance. But Vrabel remains high on the receiver, saying nothing changes with preparation.
"He dropped a pass. You know what I mean? Guys, everybody drops a pass," Vrabel explained. "Everybody misses a tackle. You talk to him the same way you always talk to him. Figure out a way to make a play to help us win, and he did a lot of great things during camp, just like everybody did. And so, I know he's excited to get back out there, get to work and to find a way to help us win."
Williams shared similar sentiments.
“It happens to everybody,” Williams said. “I mean, we all know what type of dude he is. I know what type of plays he can make. So it’s just all about brushing it off and just worrying about what’s up and coming. He’s a hell of a player. He knows what he has to do to get back on track. So, I mean, I really don’t look at it as a bad thing. It’s just room for growth.”
Some movement on the practice squad
It seems the Patriots are making some moves on the practice squad. During Monday's session, edge rusher Xavier Holmes was back on the field and a new wide receiver, Chandler Brayboy, was spotted.
Holmes spent the summer with the Patriots, having signed as an undrafted free agent, but dealt with an injury. As for Brayboy, he spent last season on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad.
They appear to be taking the spots of running back Hassan Haskins and safety Elliott Davison, who weren’t seen at practice
Preparing for the Steelers
As the preparation for the Steelers begins, Vrabel highlighted two key areas of strength of their game.
"Defensively, if you don't take care of the edges, it's going to be an issue," he said. "Strip sacks, interceptions, um, [Cameron] Heyward and [T.J.] Watt have probably 64 PBUs in the last five years, and that's pass rush PBUs. Their ability to create ball disruption even if they don't get there. Great length, sound. They tackled well. They caused some turnovers.
"Aaron [Rodgers] got the ball out of his hand, was able to really throw into some tight windows effectively. Felt comfortable extending plays and found [Pat] Freiermuth in there. So, it's not like you can just go ahead and just disregard any sort of like pass rush. He's still going to be able to extend plays, and the arm talent is there. They have two good backs that run hard.
"We're starting our preparation today, so hopefully we can use that to our advantage."
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: What I’m hearing at Gillette Stadium: Monday buzz (Week 2)
