A.J. Brown Has a Chance to Return vs Jets

A.J. Brown is back on the clock. The New England Patriots wide receiver is eligible to come off injured reserve after missing four games with a high ankle sprain, and head coach Mike Vrabel said Monday there is "a chance" Brown returns this week against the New York Jets.

"There is a chance," Vrabel said when asked about Sunday's home game against the Jets, per the Boston Globe. "Yep, there is." For a Patriots offense that just found its footing, getting Brown back now would turn a hot streak into a real problem for the rest of the AFC East.

Where Brown stands

Brown got hurt in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9 and played only 31 snaps before the injury, per the Globe. He went on injured reserve with a right high ankle sprain, and Sunday's win over the Las Vegas Raiders was the fourth game he missed, per NBC Sports.

Before New England can activate him, the team has to open his 21-day practice window, per RotoWire. Vrabel said Brown has a chance to get back on the practice field this week, and Brown was spotted walking without a limp last week, per that report.

"Whenever he'll be back, he should help us," Vrabel said during his weekly WEEI interview. "I hope that he's going to help us, but that remains to be seen yet when he'll be back. So, we'll see how he does today and move from there."

An offense finally rolling

The Patriots had two underwhelming offensive outings without Brown before righting the ship with wins over the Buffalo Bills and the Raiders, per NBC Sports. Sunday was the high point. New England put up a season-high 45 points in a 45-17 win over Las Vegas, and Drake Maye threw four touchdown passes, ran for a fifth and committed no turnovers while hitting nine different pass catchers, per the Globe.

Vrabel's ask for the receiver room is simple. "All you want from the receivers is that they're a productive group, that they win one-on-one matchups, contested catches, create separation, give quarterbacks confidence and places to go with the football," he said.

That is the whole Brown resume in one sentence. Putting him next to a quarterback coming off his cleanest game of the year is the upgrade New England has been waiting on since September.

Jets week, with new injuries

The timing matters because the Patriots got banged up Sunday. Left tackle Will Campbell (knee) and running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) both left the Raiders game, and Vrabel said Monday he does not know their availability yet. New England also plays two games in the next 11 days, per Yahoo Sports.

Fantasy managers should keep Brown stashed and watch the Wednesday practice report before making any moves.

A division game at Gillette with a chance to get Brown back is about as good as a Monday update gets in Foxborough. If he is out there Sunday, Maye finally has the full arsenal, and the Jets get the first look at how high this offense can actually go.