Aaron Dobson

New England Patriots wide receiver Aaron Dobson tries, but can't pull in a pass from Tom Brady during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Jets Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

(AP)

It's possible that six weeks from now we'll look back at the panic and frustration surrounding the New England Patriots' passing offense and wonder why everyone was so worried about the kids at wide receiver.

For now, however, those feelings are all too real – not just on the fringes of fandom, but inside the locker room and on the field. Look no further than the blowup quarterback Tom Brady had on the sideline following a second-quarter miscue that cost the Patriots a touchdown during Thursday's ugly 13-10 win over the New York Jets.

"No one's coming to rescue and save the day," Brady said. "We just gotta fight through it."

For now, at least, there will be no Brandon Lloyd, Randy Moss or Deion Branch walking through that door. Danny Amendola is weeks away from returning from a groin injury, and Rob Gronkowski is fighting his way back from back surgery.

It's just Brady and the kids, and right now, the kids are not all right. On Sunday, undrafted rookie Kenbrell Thompkins was the one who appeared lost and confused. He ran the wrong routes, dropped balls and was seemingly unaware of his position on the field.

Some of that disconnect was prevalent again Thursday night. Twice Thompkins appeared to run the wrong route, once when he broke to the inside and Brady went deep, and another time when Thompkins went deep and it appeared Brady was expecting him to come back to the ball.

But there were also moments Thompkins showed improvement. He made a 38-yard reception down the right sideline and nearly reeled in a deep ball in the end zone on a diving effort that just barely slipped free of his grasp. It was different from Week 1, when Thompkins failed to get both feet down on two separate occasions following a catch.

Progress. Incremental, to be sure, but it was still progress.

On Thursday, Aaron Dobson, making his debut after missing the Buffalo game due to a hamstring injury, introduced himself to Patriots fans by scoring on a 38-yard reception after going uncovered on a play-action fake. Things quickly went downhill from there.

New England Patriots vs Jets 9/12/13 40 Gallery: New England Patriots vs Jets 9/12/13

Dobson was targeted 10 times and made three receptions for 56 yards. Three of those misses were due to dropped passes, and on two he did not seem aware the ball was coming.

Dobson dropped consecutive passes in the second quarter. The first came on an out route near the sideline. The second was more costly.

Dobson beat Dee Milliner off the line and got behind safety Antonio Allen, leaving him with a clear path to the end zone. Brady delivered a 65-yard strike that hit Dobson on the fingertips, causing him to sprawl out, but he was unable to reel it in. It's possible one could argue the pass was overthrown by inches, but it was a makable play for Dobson.

The third drop came in the third quarter when Brady targeted Dobson on the sideline and the ball fell between his arms.

Some of his miscues can likely be blamed on rookie jitters and rainy conditions, though Dobson claimed he was "real mellow" during his debut.

"I wasn't too jacked or blowing it during warmups," Dobson said.

Even amid the ugliness of his performance, there was one big positive to take away from what Dobson put on film: He was constantly open.

Some of that is likely due to poor coverage from Milliner, but the big concern about Dobson at the end of the preseason was his ability to create separation. That was not an issue Thursday.

Again, it's a small thing to celebrate. But as the kids get up to speed, those are things that need to be monitored, with the good moments serving as building blocks.