Excitement was in the air in New England going into their first matchup with the Jets on Sunday, and it wasn't just because they were coming off back-to-back wins against two AFC contenders.
Much of it was because A.J. Brown returned for the first time since Week 1, after a high ankle sprain put him on injured reserve for four weeks. Because the offense had already suffered several losses, with WR Mack Hollins the latest receiver to get injured, Brown couldn't have returned at a better time.
On top of that, taking down a divisional opponent is always important, even if it's just the Jets who most believe won't be that competitive, anyway.
Seeing Brown back in the starting lineup excited the team and its fans, but it quickly became more of a concern as the receiver kept dropping passes. It was as rusty a performance as you'd expect, yet his return helped the offense in some ways, particularly for some of his teammates.
At the same time, not everyone left the game a winner, despite the final score; Brown was among the top losers.
The winners and losers from A.J. Brown's return to the Patriots
Winner: Hunter Henry
After becoming Drake Maye's favorite target over the last two years, it was surprising to see Hunter Henry less involved in the offense at the start of the season. It was especially surprising that they struggled most in their first three games, given how reliable the tight end has been for the quarterback.
That changed against the Jets on Sunday, however, with Henry catching 4 of 5 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown, earning a game ball from Mike Vrabel for sliding into the top-3 all-time list for receptions and touchdowns in franchise history.
That's the kind of day Henry might need to regain confidence and get more involved over the next stretch of the season. With injuries piling up, the offense will need all the help it can get, and he can play a major role in keeping them afloat in more ways than one.
Loser: A.J. Brown
Perhaps the most shocking part of Brown's return was his performance. Although it was assumed he would have some rust to shake off after a month away, no one expected him to struggle as much as he did, especially with drops.
He got the start from the first offensive series, and Drake Maye tried to get him involved early and often. By the end of the game, Brown caught 3 of 10 passes for 27 yards, and most of the 7 passes he didn't catch were drops.
For a player known for catching almost everything thrown his way, seeing the football slip through his fingers, as much as we did, was surprising. He even dropped the onside kick at the end of the game, which Eli Raridon fortunately recovered.
The hope is that this was a much-needed "welcome back to the NFL" game for A.J., and he will play much better when the team heads to Chicago for Thursday Night Football. His performance is why so many believed he needed to play this week, and there's no reason to believe he won't be better by Week 7.
Winner: DeMario Douglas
If you were told going into the Jets matchup that DeMario Douglas would be the leading receiver in this week's game, you probably wouldn't believe it, especially with Brown finally back in the starting lineup.
But that's how good Douglas was on Sunday, recording 7/8 receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. He's been clutch over the last few weeks and is clearly building even better chemistry with Maye, which is especially needed as Brown takes a bit of time to reacclimate to football.
This was another example of how valuable Douglas can be to this offense and why Josh McDaniels should incorporate him more every week. Although he lost a fumble, turnovers haven't been a problem for Douglas over the years, and that shouldn't be a concern for the rest of the season.
Instead, we should see him getting more looks from Maye and see how often they can exploit a sleepy defense that leaves him wide open.
Loser: Efton Chism III
With Brown sidelined and eventually Mack Hollins, a player like Efton Chism started getting more involved in the offense. He showed the Patriots what he could do against the Bills, catching 2 passes for 42 yards and scoring an impressive one-handed touchdown.
He followed that up with another standout performance against the Raiders last week, catching 5 for 57 yards, suggesting he'll get more looks for the rest of the season. But with Brown back in the lineup on Sunday, Chism was targeted only once and didn't catch it.
That doesn't necessarily mean he won't be more involved going forward, but it is quite different from what we've seen in the last few games. We'll have to see whether Josh McDaniels finds more ways to use Chism for the rest of the season, or whether other players, like Douglas, get those chances instead.
Loser: Drake Maye
While many believed Brown would be one of the biggest winners going into the game, the assumption was that Maye would be as well, as he would finally have his No. 1 receiver back in the lineup for the first time since the season opener.
However, Brown's performance was far from helpful, as he dropped more passes than he caught and wasn't the game-changer the Patriots had hoped for.
He did help draw the Jets' defense's attention, since they went into the game planning to shut him down at all costs. That ensured a player like Douglas was able to make a few plays, which was exciting, but there was more optimism that Brown would make Maye's day a bit easier than he did.
On a short week, Brown will need to step it up and be that top playmaker that Maye was promised against a very good Bears team.
Winner: Jets' defense
The Jets went into Sunday's game as a top-5 passing defense that allowed very few touchdowns and under 300 yards per game. They were much stronger than they had been in the past, so getting Brown back in the offensive lineup was going to be key to their success, or so the Patriots thought.
That meant the Jets had to prepare for what Brown could bring to the game, and they surely believed he would have had a much greater impact than he ultimately did.
Because he dropped so many passes and only recorded 27 yards on the day, the Jets defense got a massive win, as Brown didn't live up to the hype most had before the game.
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