Veteran blocking tight end Pharaoh Brown caught two passes for 71 yards and the New England … [+] Patriots‘ lone touchdown Sunday at MetLife Stadium. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.Hunter Henry and Mike Gesicki were left as the lone tight ends on the initial 53-man roster for the New England Patriots.
But after the NFL’s deadline passed in August, a recent cut with experience under offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien joined them.
Pharaoh Brown signed to the practice squad at its formation. The veteran earned a promotion to the active roster before the opener. A little bit of everything has been handled through three games since then. Being the third tight end on the depth chart often calls for a little bit of everything.
That proved to be the case Sunday at MetLife Stadium, where Brown played 35% of the snaps on offense and 35% of the snaps on special teams against the New York Jets. And at the 11: 39 mark in the second quarter, as one starting tight end went in motion and another went into the flat, he went down the seam unnoticed.
A fake to running back Rhamondre Stevenson drew the eyes of the secondary. In arrived the pass over the shoulder. Brown turned it into 58 yards and an extension over the right pylon as safety Adrian Amos grabbed ahold of his legs. A touchdown spike followed.
“It felt great to get the offense a spark, definitely,” Brown told reporters in the locker room after what became a 15-10 AFC East win. “We needed it, but it felt awesome. I felt like it gave us a spark and helped us win a game.”
Undrafted out of Oregon in 2017, Brown has scored three touchdowns through 58 NFL games. (Photo by … [+] Al Bello/Getty Images)
Getty Images At age 29, it marked the University of Oregon product’s first trip to the end zone since January 2021. It marked the lone trip the Patriots would make on a rainy afternoon featuring eight punts and four attempted field goals.
“Yeah, it was just a little play-action play and we kind of knew it was going to work and he made a great catch,” quarterback Mac Jones said during his postgame press conference. “We worked on that in practice and it worked in the game, so that’s what we want.”
Brown finished with a team-high 71 receiving yards, later delivering on a stiff-armed first down. His physicality both inline and as a 6-foot-5, 246-pound fullback played an equal part.
In addition to earning the Patriots’ highest offensive grade against the Jets, his run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus ranked behind only center David Andrews and left tackle Trent Brown.
“I just want to play football,” Brown said. “So, whatever they ask, the opportunity to get on the field, I’m all for it, whether that’s fullback, tight end, you know what I mean? The more you can do, the better.”
Undrafted in 2017, Brown made previous NFL stops with the Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, who released him following the preseason. His well-traveled career has spanned 58 games and 37 starts.
He now stands with 53 receptions for 549 yards and a trio of touchdowns.
“Yeah, Pharaoh’s done a good job,” head coach Bill Belichick said Sunday as the Patriots improved to 1-2. “He came in here the first week and played in the opener and has played every week. It’s good to have a guy that can do what he does. He’s got some size. He can block. He can catch the ball a little bit. He’s a good complement to Mike and Hunter.”
On a one-year deal featuring a $1.08 million base salary and $940,000 cap number, per OverTheCap.com, Brown hadn’t been targeted through matchups with the Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins. He played 14 offensive downs in the September losses before seeing that tally climb to 25 in East Rutherford.