‘He Wasn’t Blaming This on Anyone’ — Patriots WR A.J. Brown Earns Praise From Hall of Famer for Taking Accountability After Three Drops vs. Jets

Abhilasha Aditi Tue, October 20, 2026 at 6:07 AM UTC

0

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown.A. J. Brown waited four games to return to the New England Patriots lineup, but his long-awaited comeback Sunday was marred by three dropped passes.

A.J. Brown waited four games to return to the New England Patriots lineup, but his long-awaited comeback Sunday was marred by three dropped passes. Even so, Brown refused to let the injury serve as a convenient explanation for his performance.

“There’s no excuses. I stacked my guy, should’ve made the play. I beat my guy on third down, should’ve made the play,” Brown told reporters after Sunday’s win. “So, ankle or not, I will make all those plays.”

That response caught the attention of Hall of Fame receiver Cris Carter, who admired Brown’s willingness to take responsibility.

Cris Carter Defends A.J. Brown After Three Drops in Patriots’ Win Over Jets

Brown made his home debut for New England on Oct. 18 after missing four games with a high ankle sprain, but his return did not go as planned. He caught just three of 10 targets for 27 yards and dropped three passes, including a potential touchdown.

Speaking on the “Fully Loaded” podcast, Carter said Brown’s struggles did not change his view of the receiver’s importance to New England. He expects Brown to bring more balance to the Patriots’ offense for the rest of the season.

“A.J. Brown did not necessarily [play well] yesterday with three drops, but he is a threat and a great complement to what they’re doing,” Carter said.

The Hall of Famer also pointed to quarterback Drake Maye’s recent performances as a reason for optimism.

Maye, who ranks seventh in the league with a PFN QB Impact Score of 82.7, threw at least three touchdown passes for the third consecutive game, completing 18 of 32 attempts for 235 yards against the Jets. His performance helped New England overcome Brown’s difficult afternoon and improve to 4-2.

PREDICT THE NFL SEASON:PFN’s Free NFL Playoff Predictor

Advertisement

While co-host Shawn Meaike acknowledged the criticism Brown faced for his drops, Carter focused on how the receiver responded afterward.

He also argued that Brown’s track record did not suggest a recurring problem with drops and suggested that the timing of his return could have played a role.

“Football is a timing sport, and he is not a player who has struggled with drops before,” Carter said. “So typically, it’s a little focus. He’ll catch some extra balls this week on the Jugs machine. But the best thing about A.J. is that he wasn’t blaming anyone.”

What stood out most to Carter, however, was Brown’s willingness to take responsibility rather than blame his ankle injury or any other factor.

“He said, ‘I got to play better than that.’ And he will,” Carter said.

SET YOUR LINEUPS:PFN’s Free Fantasy Start/Sit Optimizer

The Hall of Famer then noted that New England could use the performance as a learning experience, especially since the Patriots still came away with a 26-19 win.

Brown now has a short turnaround to prepare for Thursday night’s game against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 22. He was listed as a limited participant in practice because of his ankle injury but expressed confidence that he would be ready, saying, “Absolutely, we will see you guys on Thursday.”

If Brown can regain his rhythm with Maye and cut down on the drops, he will have a chance to put his difficult return behind him and help the Patriots build on their strong start to the season.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”