Patriots Head to Chicago on a Short Week Missing Two Receivers and Two Guards. Good Luck, Drake.

The Boston Globe opened its Patriots story Tuesday with this line: it's "a notable day when they don't have to place someone on injured reserve." That's where this team is right now. They won Sunday, they've won three straight, and they're heading to Chicago on a short week held together with tape.

The Patriots play the Bears on Thursday. Here's who's not walking through that door.

The receivers

Romeo Doubs went on injured reserve Monday with a shoulder injury he suffered on a 42-yard touchdown catch from Drake Maye against the Jets on Sunday. He'll miss at least four games, according to the Globe. Doubs leads the team in receiving yards (261) and touchdown catches (three), and he had a touchdown in each of the last three games.

Mike Vrabel wouldn't put a date on his return. "The expectation is that he'll work hard and get treatment," Vrabel said. "But to say I know exactly when he'll be back, I don't think that's fair to anybody."

Mack Hollins is also on IR. So that's the No. 2 and No. 3 receivers gone, as NFL.com put it.

Which brings us to A.J. Brown

The Patriots paid big to get A.J. Brown so Maye would have a go-to guy in exactly this situation. Sunday, in his first full game with New England after missing four games with an ankle injury, Brown was officially charged with three drops, according to NFL.com. When Maye threw to anybody else, he went 15-of-22 for 208 yards and three touchdowns. When he threw to Brown, he went 3-of-10 for 27 yards.

NFL.com reported that the home crowd at Gillette sarcastically cheered when Brown finally caught a 4-yard pass in the second half. Brutal.

To his credit, Brown didn't make excuses. "I'm more than capable of making those catches," he said. "And I'll be better." Maye backed him: "I'm going to keep coming his way. He's a great player. He's got great hands." Brown was limited in practice Tuesday with the ankle, per the Globe.

The offensive line

Three starting offensive linemen went down against the Jets, ProFootballTalk reported. Vrabel said right guard Ben Brown (knee) and left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (hamstring) would "probably not" play Thursday. That likely means Walter Rouse and Matt Pryor, who finished Sunday's game, get the start, the Globe said.

Right tackle Morgan Moses left the locker room Sunday in a walking boot on his right foot, but Vrabel hinted he might be able to go. If he can't, first-round pick Caleb Lomu likely plays more, and he might see time at guard too. "I think that Caleb will have to be ready to go at multiple positions," Vrabel said.

Vrabel liked what the backups did Sunday. "It was fun to watch those guys take advantage of the opportunity," he said, pointing to a late drive that ran clock and put New England up two scores.

Left tackle Will Campbell said the room is ready for this. "One thing Coach Vrabel talks about is preparing as a starter, regardless of where you are," he said. "You never know when your number is going to get called." ProFootballTalk noted that Lomu, Pryor and Rouse all got pressed into action against the Jets, and that New England was one more injury away from playing somebody out of position. Expect the Patriots to add bodies up front.

The full injury list

Tuesday's practice had three players out: Vera-Tucker, Ben Brown and defensive tackle Joshua Farmer (personal). Five were limited: Moses, A.J. Brown, and cornerbacks Carlton Davis (neck) and Karon Prunty (hamstring), according to the Globe.

The locker room vibe

Nobody's crying about it. Maye said he's "impressed with how the coach has been handling" the shuffling. Defensive tackle Milton Williams put it best: "We obviously don't want guys to get hurt, but in this business, you've got to take advantage of your opportunities and go from there. Hopefully we get some of those guys back and continue to strengthen our team, but nobody's going to feel sorry for us."

Dez's take

Williams is right, nobody's feeling sorry for anybody. But think about the math: on a short week, against what NFL.com calls a high-powered Bears team, the Patriots might start their fourth- and fifth-string guards and lean on a star receiver who just had the worst game of his New England career. If Brown bounces back, this team is for real. If he doesn't, Maye is going to be running for his life on Thursday night.

What's next

Patriots at Bears, Thursday night. New England is going for its fourth straight win.