Troy Brown, the wide receivers coach for the New England Patriots, spoke candidly on Tuesday about what appeared to be a heated sideline confrontation involving wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster during Sunday’s 10-7 defeat to the New York Giants, which dropped the Patriots to 2-9.
Soon after New England quarterback Mac Jones threw an interception in the second quarter of Sunday’s loss, Smith-Schuster and Brown “exchanged words before the receiver slammed his helmet onto its mount and sat on the bench,” according to Patriots beat writer Dakota Randall of NESN. Smith-Schuster said after the loss that the incident was caused by a “frustration of wanting to put points on the board.”
In order to join the Patriots, Smith-Schuster allegedly agreed to a three-year contract worth up to $33 million in March. However, neither party’s season has gone as anticipated. In his first nine games with the team, the 27-year-old had just 24 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown. He also missed time due to a concussion. According to ESPN statistics, the Patriots scored 13.5 points per game on average at the end of Week 12, which placed them 31st in the NFL.
This Sunday, New England will host the Los Angeles Chargers (4–7). It’s uncertain if Los Angeles will start quarterback Jones or backup Bailey Zappe for the hosts.
