A.J. Brown is Back to Ruin the Jets' Weekend
The Patriots are expected to activate star WR A.J. Brown off IR for Sunday's game against the Jets, giving New England a massive offensive boost while New York limps in without Breece Hall.
HotTakes Editorial TeamUpdated 1 min read
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The New York Jets are about to walk into Foxborough at the exact wrong time.
According to Ian Rapoport, the New England Patriots are expected to activate star wide receiver A.J. Brown off injured reserve ahead of Sunday's divisional matchup. Brown has been sidelined with a high-ankle sprain but logged limited practice sessions all week and carries an official questionable tag.
"Ian Rapoport reported that the Patriots will likely activate Brown off Injured Reserve to play against the Jets."
High-ankle sprains usually turn explosive wide receivers into high-priced decoys for a month, but Brown operates on a different physical spectrum. This is a guy who casually racked up 1,079 receiving yards last season despite missing three games, proving his baseline production is still better than most receivers playing a full schedule.
Getting an alpha target back is a massive luxury for a New England team that is already finding its groove. Head coach Mike Vrabel has the Patriots sitting at 3-2, and they just hung 45 points on the Las Vegas Raiders last week without their best perimeter weapon.
Dropping Brown back into an offense led by Drake Maye makes life infinitely easier for the quarterback and a total nightmare for the opposing secondary.
Meanwhile, the Jets are limping into this AFC East clash missing their own offensive engine. Running back Breece Hall has already been ruled out with a quad injury, leaving New York severely outgunned.
Anyone staring at the weekend prop markets needs to adjust their math accordingly. One offense is getting its primary game-breaker back on the field, while the other is trying to manufacture points without its most reliable player.
The Jets managed to scrape out a 17-12 win over the Cleveland Browns last week, but trying to keep pace with a healthy Brown is a completely different assignment.
We will get the official activation news before Sunday's kickoff. If Brown is fully cleared, expect the Patriots to test that ankle early and see if he is ready to immediately return to ruining defensive coordinators' weekends.
Key stats
A.J. Brown had 1,079 receiving yards last season despite missing 3 games.
The Patriots scored 45 points against the Raiders last week.
The Jets beat the Browns 17-12 last week.
What's next
Official activation will happen before Sunday's kickoff, where the Patriots will likely test Brown's ankle early to gauge his explosiveness.

Key stats



