As expected, the New England Patriots opened the 21-day practice window for star wide receiver A.J. Brown. They dodged a big bullet, and he might be ready to return as early as this Sunday.
The New York Jets boast a strong pass defense, at least on paper so that he would be a welcome addition to Josh McDaniels' passing game. Nevertheless, it may be better to err on the side of caution here.
As much as the fans and everyone would love to see Brown back on the field in Week 6, this is a long season, the offense is finally rolling without him, and the Patriots have a short turnaround before a Thursday Night Football date with the Chicago Bears.
The Patriots shouldn't activate A.J. Brown against the Jets
Aaron Glenn's pass defense is holding quarterbacks to just 175.0 passing yards per game, the fourth-lowest mark in football. However, those numbers may be misleading and should be taken with a grain of salt.
The Jets opened the season against Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans' league-worst offense. Then they faced a Green Bay Packers team with a makeshift offensive line that couldn't block to save their life.
Then, Glenn couldn't get the best of his former team, the Detroit Lions, with Jared Goff passing for 269 yards and a couple of scores. After that, they faced Tyson Bagent and hosted Deshaun Watson, down an offensive lineman and one of his top targets, in a monsoon.
That's just to say that the Patriots' passing game should be just fine, even without Brown. The Jets' strong numbers mostly come from the subpar competition they've faced, and while the Pats aren't in a position to look down on anyone, the Jets clearly aren't in the same weight class.
Efton Chism II, DeMario Douglas, and Kyle Williams all stepped up in a big win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Mack Hollins might be back, and Romeo Doubs also had a strong game in Week 4 before going quiet again the following week.
The Patriots don't need A.J. Brown in mid-October; they need him in Week 15 and beyond, and they have to take a big-picture approach with their most flamboyant offseason addition. It's not the sexy, flashy, or popular move, but holding him out for another game can make a massive difference when it matters the most.
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