FOXBORO, Mass. — The New England Patriots had their largest player back on the field Sunday afternoon.
One day after being activated off injured reserve, offensive tackle Trent Brown returned to the starting lineup in the Patriots’ 45-7 thrashing of the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium. It was Brown’s first game action since he suffered a calf injury on the opening series of Week 1.
Brown was back in his usual spot at right tackle, starting alongside right guard Shaq Mason. The Patriots opted to send Mike Onwenu, who’d played well at right tackle in Brown’s absence, to the bench rather than shift him back to left guard, where he began the season. Isaiah Wynn remained at left tackle.
Onwenu replaced Brown for New England’s fourth offensive possession late in the first half, and he relieved him again late, when the Patriots began removing many of their starters with the game in hand. But Brown played the majority of his team’s offensive snaps, with Onwenu mostly used as a jumbo tight end in certain packages.
After the game, Brown reflected on his lengthy recovery, which he said hit a snag before the Patriots hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4.
“Initially, I was really trying my best, and we were trying our best, to have me back for — it was a push for the Saints game (in Week 3), and it was a possibility for the Bucs,” Brown explained. “But I kind of tweaked (the calf) again that Bucs week, and that was the final straw. They went ahead and put me on IR for those couple weeks. It’s unfortunate, but I’m glad to be back.”
NFL rules require players placed on IR to sit out three games, meaning Brown would have been eligible to return for New England’s Week 8 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. But the 6-foot-9 lineman did not begin practing until this week, delaying that timeline. After satisfying coaches with his performance on the practice field, Brown said he got word Friday that he would be starting against Cleveland.
“Honestly, I was excited,” he said. “And then to get out there today — I forgot how fun it is. It feels like it’s been three years since I’ve played ball and had fun playing ball.”
Losing Brown, who was traded back to the Patriots in March after two tumultuous seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, initially threw New England’s O-line into turmoil. The Patriots cycled through four replacement starters (Justin Herron, Yasir Durant, Yodny Cajuste and Onwenu) and struggled to protect rookie quarterback Mac Jones before that unit finally began to stabilize around Week 5.
That upward trend continued with Brown back. Cleveland sacked Jones twice but did not suffiently disrupt him — the QB completed 82.6% of his passes, threw three touchdown passes with no interceptions and posted a career-best passer rating of 142.1 — and the Patriots’ run game again was dominant despite missing lead back Damien Harris, who was out with a concussion.
Led by rookie Rhamondre Stevenson (20 carries, 100 years, two touchdowns), the Patriots rushed for a season-high 184 yards, averaged 5.4 per carry and scored on seven of their eight possessions (excluding an end-of-game kneeldown).
“For me, I always try to encourage my younger guys,” Brown said of New England’s O-line improvement. “I’ve been in meetings with them, telling them what this guy does or that guy does, how you can play him. Just trying to speak life into them, because more than half the battle is confidence. I truly believe that’s how I’ve succeeded over the last seven years.
“And really just, with me coming back, I think that boosted everyone’s confidence, just seeing a 6-9 body across the huddle. So it was fun. It was a fun win today.”
