MUNICH - The Patriots are getting acclimated in Germany, holding a light jog-through at FC Bayern Munich's practice facility Thursday night.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel brought his team to Munich late Wednesday night, with a lighter practice hopefully knocking off jet lag from the seven-plus-hour flight. New England will mostly use Thursday to adjust to the six-hour time difference, and then will hold Friday's practice at a faster pace. Still, there were some positive attendance notes on Thursday evening from the FC Bayern training center.
Star WR A.J. Brown (ankle/knee) participated in his second straight practice in Munich on Thursday. After missing the last two games due to a knee injury, Brown returned to practice as a limited participant on Wednesday. He then took part in the Pats jog-through on Thursday night after traveling with the team to Germany, a sign that he's trending in a positive direction. The big trade acquisition has played in only three games this season, tallying nine catches for 101 receiving yards in his first year with the team.
At 5-4, New England's offense has been shorthanded without Brown, in particular, over the last several weeks. The Patriots invested a 2028 first-round pick to acquire Brown via trade with the Eagles to be their No. 1 receiver. So, it goes without saying that things haven't gone as planned. That said, there's still time for Brown to be an impact player in this offense, with his return possibly coming as soon as Sunday vs. Detroit.
"It feels good just to have that leader back," teammate DeMario Douglas said of Brown's return to practice. "Just thank God every time he's on the field, I learn, you know, just to see how successful he became. And man, I just appreciate his improvement."
Along with Brown, top RB Rhamondre Stevenson (knee) was also spotted in Munich on Thursday night. Although he wasn't with the larger group during stretching, Stevenson was working out off to the side. That Stevenson even made the trip overseas is encouraging and suggests he has a chance to play, despite reports that he could miss games due to his knee injury.
The Patriots possibly having Brown and Stevenson available for Sunday's game vs. the Lions would be a pleasant surprise. Further down the depth chart, backup TE Cameron Latu (back) and G Walter Rouse (concussion) were also participating in Thursday's practice. The two Pats backups sat out Wednesday's pre-flight session in Foxborough, but returned on Thursday.
Rouse, who is in the NFL's concussion protocol, could be in the mix to start at left guard on Sunday. The Patriots ruled out top backup C/G Ben Brown (knee) en route to Germany, with Brown, CB Carlton Davis III (knee), and RB TreVeyon Henderson (illness) staying home. However, Rouse made the trip, and if he clears concussion protocol, he could factor in at guard, with Greg Van Roten and Matt Pryor also as options.
The Patriots activating Van Roten from injured reserve this week feels likely. Van Roten hasn't played since injuring his hamstring in Week 3, but he was a solid starter over the last three seasons and could start at left guard on Sunday. At the very least, Rouse could provide another layer of depth, so the Patriots don't need to elevate a practice-squad player to the interior offensive line. Instead, the Patriots could elevate practice-squad players RB Terrell Jennings and CB Kindle Vildor, with Davis and Henderson already ruled out.
New England's final injury report on Friday will be more telling, especially since Thursday's session was only a jog-through. On Wednesday, head coach Mike Vrabel noted that players traveling to Munich doesn't necessarily mean they'll play vs. the Lions. Still, there's a chance Brown and Stevenson play on Sunday.
Although most of the attention is on injuries, Patriots QB Drake Maye also held a post-practice press conference on Thursday. Maye reflected on his first experience playing in Europe, a 32-16 loss to the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium in London. Obviously, the Patriots are hoping for a different result this time, but Maye's prior overseas experience could help this week.
"I think just try not to get lost in the why we come over here: to play a game and win a football game," Maye said. "One of the biggest things is getting used to the playing field, seeing what the grass is like. I remember going out there during warm-ups was kind of similar to here in London. It was raining. I was slipping, worrying about my cleats, and just trying to check out the playing field. It's a weird schedule, so try not to let the schedule (beat you). Try to rest up and worry about winning a football game."
As mentioned, the Patriots will hold one more practice at the FC Bayern training center on Friday, then have their usual day-before-game walkthrough Saturday before Sunday's matchup vs. the Lions.
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