The New England Patriots took a tough Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears, dropping their season record to 4-3. The upcoming game against the Miami Dolphins will be key to staying in the race for the top spot in the AFC East.
Drake Maye was excellent, but two key offensive skill players, wide receiver A.J. Brown and running back TreVeyon Henderson, underperformed.
Neither Brown nor Henderson contributed much against the Bears, and their lack of performance is hurting Maye's offense. Brown was brought in as the team's No. 1 receiver, yet since returning from the injured list, he's done little to justify that status.
Henderson has also been quiet and had a forgettable game against the Bears. Both have to do better if the Patriots are to get back on track in the AFC East.
New England Patriots A.J. Brown and TreVeyon Henderson must step up
In his two games since returning from injured reserve, Brown has been targeted 16 times, catching only six for 75 yards and no touchdowns. To say that he is not meeting expectations would be a gross understatement.
Brown needs to get more involved on offense and make the big plays Maye will need for the Patriots to rise above mediocrity.
The team now trails the Buffalo Bills by a game and a half in the division (the Bills have played one fewer game). Brown needs to step up and make the big plays he was brought to Foxborough to help the offense.
While Brown is in no serious jeopardy of losing his starting role, he still has to earn his big salary and contribute to an offense that needs his big playmaking ability.
Similarly, running back TreVeyon Henderson has also underperformed. He has been missing his explosiveness and ability to take a ball to the house on any given play in 2026. Henderson is an explosive playmaker when he gets on track, but so far in 2026, he has only 203 yards on the ground, a 3.9-yard-per-carry average, and just one touchdown.
No New England Patriot can do everything by himself
It's naive to think that either a wide receiver or a running back can make things happen on their own. One major reason both of these players underperformed, and Maye struggled, is the offensive line.
Major injuries have taken their toll on the starting five. But that group was never good enough to begin with. Maye took two sacks against the Bears, but he was running for his life on numerous other plays during that loss.
It's been suggested that the 2026 first-round draft pick, Caleb Lomu, should immediately join the starting lineup wherever head coach Mike Vrabel feels it makes the most sense. Lomu has filled in admirably at both right and left tackle when either Will Campbell or Morgan Moses has been injured during a game.
Arguably, Lomu could have been slotted in permanently as the starting right tackle for Moses. Without that, he should start at guard for one of the two current starters.
Lomu is an instant upgrade over either backup starter, Walter Rouse or Matt Pryor. He'll improve pass protection at guard, creating better catch opportunities for Brown. Similarly, he'd be an asset in the running game, opening holes for backs like TreVeyon Henderson and getting them on track.
Evaluating players like Brown and Henderson in a vacuum does them a disservice. Neither they nor anyone else on the offense can do everything on any given play.
Yet, Brown has to get open, and Henderson has to find seams in the defense to make his explosive runs. To do that, they'll need major contributions from their teammates.
One way to do that is to add Caleb Lomu to the offensive line as a starter immediately.
We'll see if Mike Vrabel makes that move to keep players like Brown and Henderson untracked. If not, they may beat Miami in Week 8, but the Patriots can expect their record to fall further and their quest for a second consecutive AFC East Division title to be derailed.
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