A.J. Brown Is Questionable for Miami With a New Knee Problem, and Vrabel Is Not Saying Much About It

The Patriots had a few extra days off between their Thursday night loss to the Bears and Sunday's trip to Miami, and for most of the roster that rest seems to have helped. For A.J. Brown, it did the opposite. The receiver is questionable for Sunday's game against the Dolphins with an ankle and knee injury, according to the team's Friday injury report as detailed by Boston.com.

The knee is new. Brown was activated from injured reserve on Oct. 17 after recovering from a high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 1. He has played two games since then and has not looked like himself: Drake Maye targeted him 16 times in Weeks 6 and 7, and Brown caught six of those for 75 yards and no touchdowns, Boston.com reported.

This week, Brown was unable to finish practice Wednesday and did not practice Thursday or Friday. Mike Vrabel, in his second season as head coach, offered the usual amount of detail, which is to say not much. "We'll see how he comes in tomorrow, and then we'll make a decision," Vrabel said Friday.

Asked whether the knee problem came from Wednesday's practice, Vrabel said: "Just like everything else, when you come out of the game or a long week or practice on Monday, you evaluate the player. He just wasn't able to practice or finish practice on Wednesday." He also said he does not believe the knee is the result of rushing Brown back, calling the ankle and the knee "separate issues." He would not discuss how serious it is or whether Brown could miss more time.

So here is where we are: a 29-year-old receiver the team needed to be its top target has six catches since coming back, and now a second, unrelated injury. That is not a great trend line, even if it is too early to call it anything more than a bad week. Some of the early struggles may have been rust and hesitancy coming off a long layoff, which is the charitable reading, and the extra days off were supposed to help with exactly that.

The backfield could also be thin. TreVeyon Henderson is questionable with an illness after missing the last two practices, and he has also been managing a knee issue dating back to the preseason, according to Boston.com. His season has been quiet: 203 rushing yards, one touchdown, which came all the way back in Week 2 against Pittsburgh, and five catches for 45 yards. Rhamondre Stevenson has steadied himself after early fumble trouble, and Corey Kiner is available if Henderson sits.

Cornerback Carlton Davis (neck) and linebacker Christian Elliss (chest) are also listed as questionable, even though both practiced fully all week. Davis told reporters he expects to play for the first time since Week 4 against Buffalo.

Offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor has been ruled out with a concussion, according to the team's injury report. That is the only player officially out so far.

Now the good news, and there is a lot of it. Nine players came off the injury report Friday, including Maye, who had been listed with a right shoulder issue. The others cleared include offensive lineman Ben Brown (knee), tackle Morgan Moses (foot), tackle Marcus Bryant (ankle), who has been designated to return from injured reserve, safety Kevin Byard (chest), cornerbacks Channing Canada and Karon Prunty (both hamstring), and defensive tackle Da'Quan Jones (back).

Three healthy offensive linemen matter more than usual this week. Left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker went on injured reserve last week. He does not expect the injury to end his season, but he cannot return until Week 12 at the earliest, Boston.com reported. Vrabel said Friday he was not yet sure what the starting line combination will be on Sunday.

If you are keeping track at home, that means the Patriots go to Miami with their quarterback cleared, their offensive line closer to whole than it has been in weeks, and their top receiver's status depending on how he feels Saturday, for reasons nobody will fully explain. Vrabel said the decision will come after he sees how Brown comes in.

What we still don't know: how Brown hurt the knee, whether it is related to the ankle that kept him out for most of the first half of the season, and whether the line combination Vrabel settles on can keep Maye upright in Miami.