Pinpointing which major Patriots-Seahawks injury is most concerning

New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (high-ankle sprain)

Acquired via trade during the offseason, Brown had three receptions on four targets for 26 yards before leaving on the opening series of the third quarter.

"I don't know if he'll be available going forward here for the next week, but we'll see," head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters on Thursday.

The Patriots operated a ground-heavy attack during the first half, limiting Brown's usage, but he still managed a 30.8 percent target rate, the highest among New England receivers. According to NFL Pro data, he finished second on the team in receiving expected points added (EPA).

In his absence Wednesday, veteran Mack Hollins became quarterback Drake Maye's favorite target, finishing with a team-high 51 receiving yards on four receptions.

Why A.J. Brown's injury could be more problematic

Seattle's supporting cast elevated Lock in the comeback victory. Macdonald had an excellent defensive game plan, bottling New England's offense despite missing two starters in the defensive backfield, safeties Nick Emmanwori (ankle) and Ty Okada (hamstring). Offensive coordinator Brian Fleury, in his first game calling plays, did a nice job giving Lock safe throws with a majority of his attempts near the line of scrimmage. He averaged six air yards per attempt; a season ago, Darnold ranked 10th in the league at 8.4 air yards per attempt.

Seattle can stay afloat in Darnold's likely absence. The Cardinals project as one of the league's worst teams, while the Washington Commanders, looming in Week 3, should still be a work-in-progress defensively after overhauling a majority of their starting unit.

The Patriots may be worse off. New England doesn't have anyone who can duplicate Brown's production, and wideout Romeo Doubs, a splash free-agent signing (four years, $68M), had a miserable debut, finishing with only three targets and no receptions on 28 routes run. He also had an inexplicable fourth-quarter drop.

New England may not get much help from its rushing attack, either, after averaging just 3.5 yards per carry against Seattle. With the Pittsburgh Steelers on deck and road games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills in Weeks 3 and 4, the Patriots need Brown back in a hurry to avoid a potential early-season hole.