Pharaoh Plays Patriots' Unlikely Hero

That completed the process of a 58-yard score that put the Patriots ahead 10-0 in the second quarter. New England's defense more or less handled the rest, allowing only a single six-pointer on the afternoon to keep a long-running tradition of New Jersey-based history alive.

“Pharaoh has done a good job,’' coach Bill Belichick said after the game. “He came in here the first week and played in the opener. He’s played every week. It’s good to have a guy who can do what he does. He has some size, he can block, catch the ball a little bit (and is) a good complement to Mike (Gesicki) and Hunter (Henry).”

Even the most obsessive watcher of the Patriots' roster had to be shocked by Brown's breakout: even with Belichick insisting that fans have seen him before, he remains one of the newest New Englanders after he was signed in late August after he was released from the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots are his fifth NFL team since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon. 

Brown played sparingly over the first two weeks (14 snaps in the opening losses to Philadelphia and Miami), though he developed a slight niche as a fullback. Even with his lack of experience beyond the line of scrimmage, however, Brown had earned the confidence of Jones, the bestower of his run to glory.

“It was just a little play-action play and we kind of knew it was going to work,” Jones said of Brown's first NFL touchdown since scoring two with the Houston Texans in 2020. “(Brown) made a great catch. We worked on that in practice and it worked in the game. So that’s what we want.”

Brown himself seemed more satisfied with his contributions beyond his box score despite adding 13 more yards on a reception that helped set up a Chad Ryland field goal. Paving the way for Ezekiel Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson, Brown helped the Patriots run to their finest ground game of the season, as they nearly matched their 164-yard output over the first two games with 157 on 40 carries against the Jets.

He admitted that he didn't have much experience at fullback but was proud to have developed a skill that allowed him to latch onto a professional roster.

"I’m a football player. I just want to play football," the 6-6, 258-pound Brown said. "Whatever they ask, the opportunity to get on the field, I’m all for it. I was at fullback, tight end, the more you can do, they say.”

“We had some good running plays where we were gashing them for five and six, but it was a great freaking sell by the line with the play-action, Brown said of his score. "They bit, and Mac threw a great ball,” Brown said of the Patriots’ longest play of the season. “I think it was a testament to how we were running the ball early on them.”

Though he was not credited with any carries, Brown was spotlighted by Elliott, who reached the 80-yard landmark for the first time since last Thanksgiving. 

“Pharaoh’s a dog. He’s a great blocker and did his thing in the passing game today. (as a) super-physical dude,” Elliott, the Patriots top rusher with 80 yards on 16 carries, declared. “He had that stiff-arm too (and) does such a great job in the run game (as well).”

Brown will get his next chance to impress on Sunday afternoon when the Patriots (1-2) look to earn a second consecutive victory against the Dallas Cowboys (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).