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Inactives Analysis: A.J. Brown, Will Campbell, TreVeyon Henderson officially active for Week 6 matchup vs. the Jets

Along with Campbell (knee) and Henderson (ankle), star WR A.J. Brown and CB Christian Gonzalez return to the lineup on Sunday.

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Foxborough, MA – The Patriots are gearing up to host the Jets at Gillette Stadium and New England is getting healthier as multiple frontline players return to the lineup on Sunday.

After returning from injured reserve, star WR A.J. Brown (ankle) is officially active, along with top CB Christian Gonzalez (shoulder), starting LT Will Campbell (knee, questionable), and RB TreVeyon Henderson (ankle, questionable). The Patriots inactives are CB Carlton Davis III (neck), CB Karon Prunty (hamstring), CB Channing Canada (hamstring), OT Dametrious Crownover, TE Tanner Arkin, and rookie QB Behren Morton is the emergency third quarterback.

Starting on offense, top WR A.J. Brown returns from a four-game absence after his highly anticipated debut was cut short after just 30 snaps. Brown suffered a high-ankle sprain on a low catch attempt in the third quarter vs. the Seahawks in Week 1, landing him on injured reserve. The star wideout returned to practice in a limited capacity this week and will play his first game at Gillette Stadium, a long-awaited moment for the lifelong Pats fan.

Although it was a small sample, Brown was showing flashes of his potential with QB Drake Maye in New England's season opener. The 29-year-old caught three passes for 26 yards, including two third-down conversions, and drew a 34-yard pass-interference penalty that set up the Patriots lone touchdown in Seattle. Brown's promising, albeit short-lived, debut came on the heels of an exciting training camp.

Brown joins a Pats receiving core that contributed to a 45-point breakout win over the Raiders last week. The question now is how much Brown will play as he returns to the lineup. It stands to reason Brown will ramp up to game shape, taking on a smaller role than a player of his caliber typically does, and a short week with a Thursday Night Football game in Chicago looming could also factor into Brown's workload on Sunday.

At running back, second-year RB TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) dodged an injury bullet after being diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain. Reports indicated that Henderson was headed for a multi-week absence. But he surprised even himself with how quickly he bounced back and was a limited participant in practice this week. Henderson is officially active, so the Patriots will once again roll with their usual three running backs. After getting first crack at replacing FB Reggie Gilliam last week, undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin is a healthy inactive, meaning TE Cameron Latu will likely get a chance as the primary lead-blocker on Sunday.

QB Drake Maye's Supporting Cast vs. Jets

OL - LT Campbell, LG Vera-Tucker, C Wilson, RG Brown, RT Moses

WR - Brown, Doubs, Douglas, Chism III, Williams

TE - Henry, Raridon, Latu

RB - Stevenson, Henderson, Kiner

The Patriots will have their full complement of running backs and their offensive line also remains mostly intact. Like Henderson, starting LT Will Campbell (knee) is active after carrying a questionable designation. Campbell left last Sunday's win in the second quarter after getting rolled up on during a run play. Campbell is projected to start at left tackle despite reports that he'd miss game time, with first-rounder Caleb Lomu backing him up. After opting not to activate second-year OT Marcus Bryant off injured reserve this week, the Pats also have T/G Walter Rouse and C/G Matt Pryor active as offensive line depth.

Moving over to the defense, the Patriots are also getting top CB Christian Gonzalez back after a two-game absence. Gonzalez injured his shoulder in the Week 3 loss to the Jaguars. He finished the game, which Gonzalez credited to adrenaline, before the injury worsened after the team returned from Jacksonville. The Pats played the last two games without Gonzalez, who returns to cover Jets WR Garrett Wilson. In three previous matchups, Gonzalez held Wilson to 8 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown (51 routes).

With three cornerbacks inactive, including starting CB Carlton Davis III (neck), the Patriots available corners are Marcus Jones, Charles Woods, Kindle Vildor, and Gonzalez. Last week, practice-squad elevation Elliott Davison also filled in at corner in mop-up duty, while S Craig Woodson (shoulder, questionable) is also good to go. The Pats secondary has taken a step forward this week with Gonzalez's return and New England's front seven is fully healthy to face Jets QB Geno Smith and company on Sunday.

New England will try to win their third straight game and a win this week would mark the first 3-0 start at Gillette Stadium since 2019. The Pats can also start 2-0 in the division for the second consecutive season after beating the Bills in Week 4. With Brown and Gonzalez returning, it'll be interesting to see the Patriots closer to 100 percent on both sides of the ball, though still without Davis, WR Mack Hollins (IR), starting RG Mike Onwenu (IR), and others.

The Patriots and Jets kick off at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

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DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer

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