FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Polk’s progress: One day in the Patriots’ locker room last week, rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk sat at his stall and welcomed a reporter for a chat. When it was finished, another reporter was waiting for a word.
Then came another after that. And when that conversation finished, another reporter walked over and said, “I’d like to be next in the car wash if you have time.”
Polk obliged them all. Then when he was finished, he granted two more interviews to television reporters across the hall.
All that attention highlights one of the top storylines for the Patriots (2-7) entering Sunday’s road game against the Chicago Bears (4-4) at Soldier Field (1 p.m. ET, Fox). Can they get Polk, their second-round draft pick from the University of Washington, back on track?
With eight games remaining in the regular season, and the Patriots closer to contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick than a playoff berth, they want to find out what they have in some of their rookies for the future.
Perhaps no one more so than Polk, the 37th overall pick who dazzled at times in the summer but has since fallen on hard times. He has played 301 offensive snaps this season and totaled just 10 receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown.
According to ESPN Research, of the 90 NFL receivers who have been targeted at least 25 times this season, Polk ranks last in receiving yards per game (9.8), receptions per game (1.3), yards after the catch (3), receiving yards after first contact (1), yards per target (2.9) and is responsible for two offensive holding penalties, tied for most of any NFL receiver.
When Polk didn’t get his second foot down in the back of the end zone on a potential game-winning touchdown late in a Week 5 loss to the Dolphins, it seemed to accelerate his struggles. He’s had multiple dropped passes since, slipped on a two-point conversion attempt in which he was open in a loss to the Jaguars in London, and was placed in concussion protocol after that game. Polk returned last week, playing nine offensive snaps, didn’t have a catch, and was penalized for holding and an illegal shift.
The Patriots are hoping Polk (6-foot-1, 203 pounds) can run a comeback route, and that’s why he was receiving so much media attention last week.
“We all have lows. We all have highs. I think the biggest thing is always having a positive attitude of whatever that is. It’s continuously focusing on the main thing and getting through the storm,” Polk said. “It’s never going to be perfect. I think that’s the most important thing — just understanding that and being able to move on and execute, knowing you have guys around you depending on you at all times.”
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt hinted that the 23-year-old Polk should see more work this week.
“Get him in there and get him acclimated again. Find some targets for him,” he said. “Very capable receiver. Loved what he did in college. Had a great summer for us. We just have to get him re-set and back into it.”
In mid-October, coach Jerod Mayo mentioned that Polk had to get over a “mental hump” with dropped passes. Polk later told MassLive that he wasn’t dealing with mental problems and that he approached his work with the confidence of a player who has the best hands in the league.
Such confidence is part of what endeared scouts to Polk in the draft. One AFC scout relayed that he was one of the most trusted players at the University of Washington, tough, a hard worker who thrived in structure, and a leader.
Polk said attending bible study, which he also did in college, has helped him through adversity.
“I lean on my Lord. One thing that I’ve been able to understand is sometimes we want things to work out how we want it to, but a lot of times it’s not that. So continuing to understand the process and the journey you’re going through and keep a positive mindset on the outcome — I think that’s important,” he said. “You have to be able to lean on your faith and what you believe in.”
2. State of the statue: When Tom Brady was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on June 12, Robert Kraft announced that a 12-foot bronze statue of Brady would be unveiled outside Gillette Stadium this year.
The ideal scenario was for Brady to be on hand as part of his Fox broadcast duties for the Patriots’ 2024 home opener in Week 2 when they hosted the Seattle Seahawks. That was the weekend the Patriots welcomed back members of the 2014 team that defeated the Seahawks in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of their Super Bowl XLIX championship. Unfortunately, Fox had Brady assigned to the Cowboys-Saints game for Week 2 instead.
The next Patriots home game was also broadcast on Fox in Week 5 against Miami, but any chance Fox’s “A team” would be assigned that game were all but eliminated in Week 2 when Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined with a concussion.
So, given that Brady is not expected to be in Foxboro this season, according to a source familiar with Brady’s schedule, plans have now shifted to find a date in 2025 that best fits to properly honor him.
3. Ngakoue arrival: The Patriots pulled off a mild surprise Friday by claiming veteran pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue off waivers from the Ravens, which led to the release of veteran linebacker Raekwon McMillan. At a time when coaches have talked about developing younger players with the team at 2-7, the arrival of the well-traveled 29-year-old Ngakoue runs counter to that approach.
At the same time, assuming Ngakoue is motivated going from the first-place Ravens to the last-place Patriots, it also could provide a much-needed boost to the third-down rush package – which had a notable void after the Patriots traded 26-year-old Joshua Uche for a 2026 sixth-round pick two weeks ago.
4. Onwenu to LG? In hopes of sparking their dormant run game, the Patriots explored the possibility of moving right guard/right tackle Mike Onwenu to left guard in practice last week. Whether they follow through with it in Sunday’s game will be a notable storyline.
“Continuity would be great. We don’t have that luxury right now,” offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said, noting Onwenu — the only player on offense to play every snap this season — is their best offensive lineman.
5. Bell coming on: Tight ends coach Bob Bicknell and special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer said last week that 2024 seventh-round pick Jaheim Bell is now showing up more on special teams, with Springer adding he is “light years away from when he first got here.” That could soon lead to Bell seeing more time on offense, where he’s played 19 snaps all season (11 the last two weeks).
“He’s a really good talent. He is a great kid, loves football,” Bicknell said. “Early in the year, I said ‘For you to get up [on the game-day roster], you have to get on special teams.’ I think he went in with Springer every single day and did extra work. Now he’s able to do some things and did a great job last week.”
Patriots special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer said he’s told his kickoff return unit to be ready, as the Bears have shown a willingness to cover kicks.
“They’re a team that wants to put the ball in play,” he said, noting their bigger-bodied and heavy-handed personnel.
“We… pic.twitter.com/NHoSG2IUeE
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) November 8, 2024
6. Henry’s hidden value: Ninth-year tight end Hunter Henry has been a silver lining in a tough season, totaling a team-high 39 catches for 414 yards. His career highs are 60 receptions (in 2020) for 652 yards (in 2019). But Bicknell said last week the part of Henry’s game that he views as unvalued is his blocking, with few missed assignments.
7. Rhamondre/Robinson reunion: Running back Rhamondre Stevenson was in the team meeting Wednesday when it was announced that guard Tyrese Robinson had been signed off the Vikings’ practice squad the day before.
Stevenson was surprised to hear it and happy to reconnect with the 6-foot-3, 319-pound Robinson, who had started at Oklahoma for two years when he and Stevenson helped the Sooners to two Big 12 championships.
What does Robinson do best? “Run block,” Stevenson said.
8. They said it: “I don’t know if it’s because we have such a young team that it’s different from 2021, 2022, when things weren’t going our way and had a lot of older guys that were used to a certain way, used to winning. There’s a lot of young guys here that are hungry. No matter what the result is, they’re just trying to prove they belong, so it’s definitely a different feeling.” — CB Jonathan Jones, in his ninth season with the Patriots, on the atmosphere in the locker room of the 2-7 team
9. Jones at deadline: Jones’ name was rumored among those teams were interested in at last Tuesday’s trade deadline, but he had assurances that he was staying put.
He said Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf “spoke to me and let me know their plan wasn’t to trade me.” While Jones’ acknowledged plans can always change, he wasn’t sweating out the deadline.
10. Did You Know? Drake Maye has totaled 748 passing yards and 197 rushing yards in his first four career starts and can become the seventh player in NFL history with 1,000 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in his first five starts, joining Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III, and Daunte Culpepper.
Source: www.espn.com