The New England Patriots' Week 1 loss seems to have lasting effects. One of them is how they'll move forward without wide receiver A.J. Brown in Week 2's home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Brown was the biggest trade acquisition for the Patriots this offseason. A move that made headlines long before a deal was ever done. The game plan was to make Brown and quarterback Drake Maye a QB/WR1 duo that drove secondaries crazy. All of that may have to wait, though.

The fact is, Brown and Maye didn't even really get in a rhythm Wednesday night to begin with. Before he limped off the field with what ended up being an ankle sprain that put him on IR for the next 3-6 weeks, Brown would go only 3 catches for 4 pass attempts for only 26 yards.

Still, someone is now going to need to step up to be the go-to target downfield for Maye, and without someone like Kayshon Boutte, no longer a Patriot, it makes things interesting for who can be a serious threat to move the ball downfield.

Mack Hollins became key Wednesday night in the loss to the Seahawks after A.J. Brown went down. Hollins caught almost everything that was thrown to him by Maye. He was four of five for 51 yards. The one incompletion was the game-deciding interception in the end zone.

Hollins never seems like a primary target on the field, nor is he really a true WR1. But Maye has depended on Hollins many times. The veteran kept the ball moving a few times in the AFC Championship, and he caught the Patriots' only touchdown pass in Super Bowl LX.

With Maye leaning on Hollins a lot towards the end of the game Wednesday night, he may need to do more of that in the weeks to come. Hollins is in a tenth season and in a contract year; the Patriots may want to milk him for every last ounce of football he has left in the tank.

Sure, Doubs had a bad night in Seattle in his debut as a Patriot. Should we really write him off, though? There is an argument to be made against head coach Mike Vrabel for not letting some of these players see the field in preseason because it may affect their chemistry in an actual game. Time will tell if that's proved true.

Doubs was 0 for 3 in catches in the loss on Wednesday night, but the evidence is there for him to be a success in Foxborough. 

As a Green Bay Packer, Doubs recorded a total of 202 receptions for a grand total of 2,424 yards with 21 touchdowns over 59 games. He is an asset in the red zone and in the 0 to 10 yard pass range too. Which may help this offense out a lot in the weeks to come. 

Kyle Williams isn't a proven WR1 by any stretch, but he sure has become one of the unsung heroes of the "go route" in the NFL. His highlight reel from preseason makes him look elite with big-yardage touchdown catches against both the Eagles and Browns.

The second year generated a lot of buzz this offseason for his muscle gain, as well as just how poised he was to take a big step forward in his sophomore season.

Williams played 12 of 71 offensive snaps with zero targets. But that's not to say he can't make an impact on the field. Sure, he may not be at the top of the pecking order in the wide receiver room, but if Drake Maye needs him down the sidelines, like he would A.J. Brown, there's a chance it could put some points on the board.

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