A.J. Brown's History Against Patriots Isn't That Vast

Wide receiver A.J. Brown has officially been added to the New England Patriots roster after years of him being on the sideline of opposing teams. Coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles via trade which included a 2028 first round pick, Brown has been around the block since being drafted in the second round back in 2019.

But he hasn't had that much experience against the Patriots. Since arriving in the NFL, he's played in just two games against New England -- the team he grew up rooting for as a kid. There were a few preseason games (one in 2019, the other in 2024) that he didn't end up playing in, as well as a regular season game in 2021 where he was inactive.

Here's a brier rundown on Brown's output in those two games, and what it could lead us to believe about how he'll fare at Gillette Stadium this season.

2019 AFC Wild Card (Jan. 4, 2020) - Titans Win

Most notably the final game of Tom Brady's Patriots career, the underdog Tennessee Titans -- led by now-Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel -- came into Gillette Stadium and knocked off the AFC's No. 3 seed, 20-13.

Only a rookie at the time, Brown didn't factor in much to the Titans' winning efforts. He just tallied one reception for four yards across one target from quarterback Ryan Tannehill. His playoff debut was a far cry from some of the other postseason games Brown has put together in his NFL career.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) gets ready for their AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020 in Foxborough, Mass. Nas Best 2020 001 | George Walker IV / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

2023 Week 1 (Sept. 10, 2023) - Eagles Win

In this game, Brown was much more of an offensive factor. Brown, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, was matched up against Patriots rookie cornerback Christiam Gonzalez in his first-career game. In what was a rainy season opener, the defending NFC champions came into Gillette Stadium and won 25-20.

The Patriots struggled to contain Brown, who led the Eagles in both receptions (seven) and receiving yards (79). It wasn't the smoothest game by any accounts, but was still Jalen Hurts' most targeted receiver in the win.

A.J. Brown's History With Mike Vrabel

While Brown has only played against the Patriots twice, his history with Vrabel is much more lengthy.

Jun 2, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (1) warms up during the team's OTA at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Vrabel coached Brown during his first three seasons with the Titans from 2019 to 2021. The receiver shined during his tenure in Tennessee, recording back-to-back 1,000 receiving yard seasons with the team. A lot of that success came because of Vrabel, a coach that Brown admitted he didn't like at first.

On a former episode of the 'Dudes on Dudes' podcast with Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, Brown said that Vrabel is the kind of coach you see success with due to the level of accountability he holds his players to.

“Vrabes is the type of coach who’s going to call on you in the meetings,” Brown said. “He’s going to make sure you’re staying engaged and go over the keys of victory of the week. You better know the keys to victory like the back of your hand.”

For New England, hopefully Brown's short, but winning history against the Patriots will carry over into his time with the team.

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