Patriots place Romeo Doubs (shoulder) on IR

Initially deemed questionable, Doubs was ruled out in the third quarter. Doubs landed hard on his shoulder on his first target, which just happened to be a 42-yard touchdown where he broke free along the back line of the defense. Most unfortunate, though he at least tallied the score first. Doubs was evaluated in the blue tent before heading to the locker room. It’s bad news for the Pats and fantasy managers, but at least comes as A.J. Brown is back in the lineup for the first time in five weeks.

Drake Maye carved up the Vegas secondary to the tune of 376 yards and four touchdowns, with almost none of it going to be nominal No. 1 wideout. Doubs, who last week against the Bills had 58 yards and two touchdowns, nearly came down with a short touchdown grab in the third quarter on a nice touch throw from Maye. The potential return of A.J. Brown (ankle) in Week 6 against the Jets could limit Doubs’ targets going forward. With Maye cooking, Doubs remains a potential flex option in 14-team formats going forward.

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.

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.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz puts Brown’s return timeline between 3 and 6 weeks. Both reports make Brown a candidate to be placed on short-term injured reserve. The rest of the Patriots’ wide receiver corps failed to step up in Week 1. Newcomer WR Romeo Doubs will undoubtedly be given a chance to earn his hefty contract in Week 2.

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.

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.

A Seattle defender landed on Brown’s leg in the third quarter and the former Eagle clutched at his ankle as soon as he hit the ground. Brown eventually made his way off the field and limped to the locker room. He was listed as questionable for roughly a quarter, but the team has now ruled him out. The immediate worry will be that Brown suffered a dreaded high ankle sprain. That would sideline him for multiple weeks, though it’s too early to say much about the injury. Mack Hollins, Romeo Doubs, and Demario Douglas will all see some extra routes sans Brown.