The 4-3 New England Patriots are trending in the right direction, winning three straight games before their loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 7. But even sitting behind the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East, this Patriots team isn't in bad shape at all.

However, there is some real concern in New England regarding one key player: Wide receiver A.J. Brown. He struggled again in Week 7, and now, leading up to Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, there are even bigger concerns than simply on-field struggles.

According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, Brown not only wasn't in the locker room on Thursday, but he also wasn't out on the field during practice either. This, coming a day after popping up on the injury report with a new knee injury, doesn't bode well for his Week 8 status.

A.J. Brown practice report is worrisome amid new knee injury

"No sign of WR A.J. Brown at practice," Reiss reported after his previous report indicated Brown wasn't in the team's locker room.

Brown landed on injured reserve earlier this season with an ankle injury, and he missed a decent chunk of time. He came back in Week 6 against the New York Jets, but had multiple drops on 10 targets, catching just three passes for 27 yards.

But the Patriots won, and there was hope Brown was just rusty. Another rough game, this time against the Bears in primetime, didn't help instill much confidence in him. He caught three of four targets for just 26 yards.

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In three games this season, Brown has yet to catch four passes or go over 50 yards. It's quite the slow start, and now this injury report from Reiss is even more cause for concern.

With Brown not at practice Thursday, following his injury designation from Wednesday's practice, including a knee issue, doesn't bode well. That's especially the case when he was limited on Wednesday as well.

If he is absent from Thursday's practice and listed as a DNP, there might be some real concern about whether Brown is good to go for the upcoming Week 8 matchup or not.

Downgrading at practice in the middle of the week after a new injury designation was added is a worrying sign. He might be okay and could still suit up on Sunday. But this is the exact kind of update that should set off red flags for the Patriots fans.

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