Patriots wide receiver AJ Brown and running back Rhamondre Stevenson have looked “pretty good” in practice, coach Mike Vrabel said Friday before cautioning that their game status will be determined later.
Brown is dealing with ankle and knee issues, and Stevenson is trying to overcome a knee injury in time for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions in Munich.
Vrabel, speaking to the media at the Bayern Munich facility before training, was asked to assess the progress of Brown and Stevenson.
“Based on yesterday, I think very well,” said the coach. “Again, we still have to go through today and see where it goes.”
Stevenson, the team’s leading sprinter, was limited in Thursday’s running practice after the team arrived in Bavaria. He was injured in last week’s loss to the Packers and sat out practice Wednesday before their overnight flight.
Rhamondre Stevenson has started nine games for the Patriots, and is the team’s leading rusher with 399 yards and 25 first downs. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
“We’re always looking for guys who are looking for ways in instead of ways out,” Vrabel said. “At this point in the season, 10 straight weeks without a bye, there’s almost no one who is 100%. We have to understand that, we have to accept that, but we also have to find ways to do our job.
“Rhamondre is one of those players who is looking for a way in,” he added.
Brown, the team’s top offseason acquisition, has just nine receptions for 101 yards so far this season as he has battled injuries. He has been limited in practice this week.
“The more we can get everybody back, I think the more it contributes to who we feel we want to be as a team,” Vrabel said. “One guy certainly doesn’t make a difference, but certainly the more guys we can get back, it’s exciting, the pieces can start to build and come together.
“We’ll see where things go today,” he continued, “and hopefully those guys who weren’t with us or maybe injured last week can be available.”
Before traveling Wednesday night, the Patriots ruled out LG Ben Brown (knee), CB Carlton Davis III (knee) and RB TreVeyon Henderson (illness).
Henderson said last week that he spent several days in the hospital undergoing tests to determine the cause of unexplained neurological symptoms that have affected his strength and coordination.
“I talk to TreVeyon every day,” Vrabel said. “Like everyone else who’s unavailable, he’s working hard to get back. When that is, I don’t know. I don’t have a timetable.”
Vrabel reiterated that he wants his players to have the right attitude.
“We talk about a lot of things that don’t require talent or skill. We talk about competitive spirit, we talk about communication, we talk about toughness, we talk about our attitude,” he said. “There’s a lot of things you can do that don’t require skill that hopefully will help us win. Those are some qualities we’re trying to build.”
Creating turnovers is the key, he added: “We’ve got to find some guys who can take the ball away from the other team — make a pass, hit a guy enough to lose the ball … There’s a lot of ways to do that. It starts with hoping it affects the quarterback.”
Players will not be under lock and key in Munich.
“I’m not going to sit there to babysit them and make them sit in a circle and hold hands,” Vrabel said. “They are grown men.”
Reporting by the Associated Press.
