Rap: A.J. Brown (ankle) out at least four weeks

Doubs simply beat Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston all game long. He seemed to be open at will and almost had a bigger day when he failed to haul in a 40+ yard pass that went off his hands on a diving attempt in the fourth quarter. With Mack Hollins (calf) getting hurt in the first half, Doubs played on 47 of the team’s 70 snaps and ran a route on 30 of their 43 dropbacks, the most of any receiver on the team. It seems that Doubs is finally starting to click with Drake Maye, and now that Hollins is out and A.J. Brown (ankle) is still not ready to come back, Doubs could be in for a big role against the Raiders next week.

Garfolo made it clear that this is what the team hopes will happen, but it’s far from a sure thing. Week 6 is the first week Brown is eligible to return from injured reserve. The Pats placed him on IR after he suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 1. Previous reports had Brown out for 6-8 weeks, so fantasy managers should be skeptical that he will be back for Week 6, but it’s at least on the table.

Doubs was again an every-down player and finished second behind Mack Hollins in receiving yards. Doubs continues to be an afterthought in the New England offense, even with A.J. Brown out with a severe ankle injury. Through three games Doubs now has just six catches in the low-wattage Pats offense. He’ll be a deep league option in Week 4 against the Bills.

Schefter and other reporters previously called it a 4-6 week injury, which now seems unlikely. Schefter did add that Brown is moving “pretty well” and could come back on the faster side of his updated timeline. Still, it looks like Brown will miss at least half of the regular season. Romeo Doubs will operate as the team’s No. 1 receiver until he returns, though it will likely be a group effort to replace Browns’ production. Mack Hollins and Demario Douglas will also be more involved.

Doubs followed up a rough Week 1 with a productive Week 2, leading the Patriots wideouts in targets, receptions, and yards. With A.J. Brown out, Doubs started and tallied the second-most snaps among Pats wide receivers for the day. The bulk of his yardage came from a pair of third-quarter chunk gains, catching a 29-yard pass early in the quarter and breaking free for a 63-yard gain later in the quarter. Between Drake Maye’s early season struggles and a spread-the-wealth approach in the passing game, the Patriots receivers’ ceilings are capped. Doubs looks like the best pass-catching option and will be firmly in the WR4 ranks for Week 3 against the Jaguars.

Schefter added Brown will miss four to six weeks with the high ankle sprain he sustained on Wednesday night against the Seahawks. It could be much longer than that before Brown is back to full health and operating as the Patriots’ alpha WR1. For now, Mack Hollins will slide into three-receiver sets and Romeo Doubs — who didn’t catch any of his three targets against Seattle — will likely function as Drake Maye’s top option. Demario Douglas could be an interesting add in deeper formats after leading the team with seven targets in Week 1.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise after it was reported on Thursday that Brown could miss at least the next four games. Now that he finds himself on injured reserve, the star receiver won’t be able to return until at least Week 6 when the Patriots play host to the Jets. Brown caught just three passes for 26 yards in his debut with the Patriots before exiting the game. After running just four routes in the first half of Wednesday’s game, Mack Hollins ran 22 routes in the second half and should see an increase in snaps in the coming weeks. Brown’s absence should also pave the way for Romeo Doubs to see more looks in the passing game after he saw just three targets in Week 1.

Garafolo added, “MRI today after X-rays were negative.” That’s a good sign, but there is currently no timeline for Brown’s return. It will ultimately be a multi-week injury that could linger well into the season. Demario Douglas led the Pats with seven targets last night, though his looks are generally low-value check-downs. Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs will serve as the team’s primary outside receivers until Brown is healthy. Hollins led the Pats in receiving yards at a modest 51. Hollins is worth adding in deeper leagues, but it’s hard to imagine him putting up anything more than WR4 numbers while Brown is sidelined. Doubs should improve in Week 2 after failing to catch any of his three targets versus the Seahawks. He will get another shot at WR3 numbers against Pittsburgh next week.

Romeo Doubs said to reporters after the game that Brown told teammates, “Everything was going to be alright.” He added that Brown was doing really well. Brown had his ankle rolled on while going to the ground in the third quarter of last night’s game. He immediately grabbed his ankle in pain and eventually limped off the field. New England ruled him out after a trip to the locker room. It sounds like a high-ankle sprain, which would sideline Brown for at least a few weeks. Mack Hollins and Romeo Doubs will both play more in his absence. Demario Douglas, who led the team with seven targets in Week 1, will also see more work.

Doubs was blanketed in coverage all night. He failed to climb the ladder and win a jump ball early in the fourth quarter, resulting in a deflected ball turning into an interception. Later in the quarter, Doubs turned his eyes upfield before securing the pass and let the ball slip out of his hands for a drop. Drake Maye was intercepted on the next play. By any measure, this was a catastrophic debut for a player who signed a four-year, $68 million contract in the offseason. The good news for Doubs is that the team will likely be counting on him to step up next week. A.J. Brown left this game with an ankle injury and did not return. If he isn’t available for Week 2 versus the Steelers, Doubs will get one more chance at a WR3 fantasy ranking.