Week 6 status

Brown (ankle) said Thursday that it's "up in the air" whether he'll be available for Sunday's game against the Jets, and that the decision ultimately will be made by head coach Mike Vrabel, Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official site reports.

Brown practiced Wednesday after having his 21-day window to return from injured reserve opened. "I felt pretty good," Brown said regarding Wednesday's practice, during which he was listed as limited. "It's one step at a time." The flashy offseason acquisition has missed the past four games due to the right high-ankle sprain sustained in the second half of New England's season-opening loss to Seattle. A loss to the Jets on Sunday would drop the Patriots to third in the AFC East standings, but New England's passing game has been trending in the right direction despite Brown's ongoing absence, as Drake Maye has a 7:1 TD:INT over the past two games after posting a 1:6 ratio through Week 3.