Patriots Are Preparing for Antonio Brown to Play and That Means Absolutely Nothing

Stop us if you have heard this one before, (insert said team) plans for Antonio Brown to play this weekend.

Yes, the New England Patriots are the latest team who will take a ride on the AB roller coaster. Despite stunning rape and sexual assault allegations adding to the already formidable drama surrounding Brown, the Pats claim they're expecting Brown to be ready to play on Sunday in Week 2. But this offseason's ongoing Raiders debacle taught us that everything can change at the drop of a hat-- which makes New England's assurances ring at least a bit hollow.

Brown has practiced the last two days and is no longer limited by the foot problems that plagued him at Raiders camp. The only thing left for the All-Pro to do is familiarize himself with the Patriots offense so he can become yet another weapon for Tom Brady and the defending champs.

We know how the NFL operates; the league and/or the Pats could easily pull the plug on the Brown experiment pending further developments related to his behavior or the ongoing legal proceedings in which he's ensnared. If the situation calls for it, Roger Goodell can step in and effectively end Brown's season by placing him on the commissioner's exempt list. With so much dust still to settle, we should be skeptical about the potential of seeing AB out there on Sunday.

Brown is now wearing No. 17 for the Pats and is quickly acclimating himself with the offense. All the Patriots can do is hope and pray that the next couple of days flow smoothly so Brown can play not just this Sunday, but every Sunday.