The first quarter of the Patriots’ season has already split the roster into clear winners and losers.
At 2-2 through four weeks, New England is right where it could have landed in a more favorable alternate version of the schedule. Ahead of the season, the Patriots were projected at 2-2, but that was built on beating the Jacksonville Jaguars and losing to the Buffalo Bills. Instead, both of those results flipped, and when you fold in the mixed outcomes against Seattle and Pittsburgh, the Patriots are sitting at .500.
That record has not come easily. The offense has sputtered, injuries have piled up, and the early stretch has been messy. Still, the upset of Buffalo at least gives the Patriots something to build on as they move into what should be a softer run.
A.J. Brown’s absence has created one of the clearest bright spots on the offense: Mack Hollins.
Once Brown went down in the opener and was later placed on IR with a high-ankle sprain, Hollins got more chances and made them count. He leads the team with 20 targets, 15 catches and 209 receiving yards, and even during Drake Maye’s rough first three games, Hollins stayed the quarterback’s most reliable option.
He’ll miss Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders with a calf injury, but he has already done enough to prove himself in what has become a contract season for the veteran.
On the other side of the ball, the Patriots have also gotten strong early returns from a pair of defenders who have forced their way into bigger roles.
Craig Woodson has been one of them. When he’s on the field, the defense looks sharper.
A shoulder injury kept him out of Week 3, and that was the same game in which New England gave up five red zone touchdowns. He returned the next week and delivered the game-sealing interception.
Woodson also has 15 tackles and two pass breakups, and the Patriots are leaning heavily into three-safety looks this season. “It was awesome,” Kevin Byard said of Woodson.
“Obviously Craig is another player that we trust on that can go out there and make plays. I think for what we both bring, just being versatile as far as our disguise and different things that we can do. ...
It was good to have him back for sure.”
The rookie class has another headliner in Bradyn Jacas. After a slow summer, the second-round pick has taken off.
He has 1.5 sacks, an interception off Aaron Rodgers and has looked the part as an edge rusher. Against the Bills, Jacas posted a 28.6% pass rush win rate, the fourth-highest mark among all NFL edge rushers.
His 69.3 PFF grade is the best among rookie edge rushers, and he has become the crown jewel of New England’s rookie group.
There’s also been a steady, every-down presence in Robert Spillane. He hasn’t missed a game and hasn’t missed a snap, playing every defensive snap the Patriots have had this season.
The veteran linebacker, voted a captain for the second straight year, leads the team with 29 tackles and remains the tone-setter in the middle of the defense. New England’s defense, for better or worse, is going to travel as far as Spillane can drag it.
Up front, Will Campbell has been a major turnaround story. After a shaky postseason, the first-round pick from a year ago has settled in and changed the conversation around his play.
His 78.2 pass block grade from Pro Football Focus ranks 12th among all offensive tackles, and he has allowed just one sack in 265 snaps. The Bills game was a rough one - he gave up six pressures - but the larger picture has been a dramatic shift from the last time he was on the field in Super Bowl LX.
There’s been a strong return on investment from undrafted defensive lineman Elijah Ponder as well. Injuries along the line opened the door, and he has run through it.
Ponder has 15 tackles, a team-high 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries. One of those recoveries went for a touchdown against the Steelers in Week 2, and he has settled into a starting role over the last few weeks.
Not every young player has found that kind of footing.
Ja’Lynn Polk has barely been visible through four weeks. The third-round pick from last season has only two catches for seven yards, and he is being outsnapped by Efton Chism III.
The one hint of upside is that both of his receptions went for a combined 44 yards, so the explosiveness is still there somewhere. He has also handled kick returns, piling up 273 yards there, but he still hasn’t put together a consistent run of productive plays on offense.
“I think he continues to improve, and sometimes it’s hard to hear that or believe that when you have to be able to see the football and to be able to get it," Mike Vrabel said this week. "He has helped us out on the kickoff returns. ... I would say that he’s committed to working and improving and understanding more than one spot, and we’re excited about where he’s going to go."
The biggest loser, though, might be the injury report itself. New England placed 17 players on IR, already topping last season’s total of 16.
Brown is there, along with Mike Onwenu and Greg Van Roten, both dealing with lower-body injuries, plus Dell Pettus and Quintayvious Hutchins. Christian Gonzalez has also missed the last two games.
The Patriots have taken damage at an alarming rate, and getting healthier is no longer optional. It’s urgent.
In Other News...
Patriots Offense Just Put More Pressure On Drake Maye
The Patriots offense took another hit heading into a pivotal stretch, with New England adjusting its lineup as it prepares for a Week 5 meeting with the Raiders. Sitting at 2-2, the team is trying to stabilize a unit that has already been forced to adapt early in the season, and the timing matters with another game against the Bears coming up on Oct. 22.
Reggie Gilliam and Mack Hollins are both out of the picture for now, which narrows the options around Drake Maye and puts more on his plate in a matchup where the offense could use a clean, organized showing. For a Patriots team still searching for rhythm, the next couple of weeks will say plenty about how well it can absorb roster changes without losing ground. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Need An Unlikely Answer To A Growing Offensive Concern
Mack Hollins has become a growing concern for the Patriots this week after missing consecutive practices with a calf injury, putting his status for Sunday against the Raiders in doubt. With A.J. Brown still on injured reserve, New Englands margin for error at receiver is getting thinner, and the team may need to lean harder on whatever options are available to keep the passing game functional.
One of those options could be Eli Raridon, who took a season-high 44 snaps last week and has been productive in limited chances. He is healthy for the upcoming game after working through a thigh issue earlier, and he even lined up wide on five of his 23 pass snaps against Buffalo, a hint that the Patriots could ask him to stretch beyond his usual role if Hollins is unavailable. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Secondary Suddenly Faces A Depth Test They Couldn't Avoid
The Patriots secondary is heading into Week 5 with plenty of uncertainty, and Charles Woods is part of the reason there is at least a little relief on the injury front. Woods had been listed questionable with a shoulder issue, but he has been cleared to play, giving New England one more body to work with as it prepares for the Raiders.
Even with that bit of good news, the picture remains thin. New England ruled out four cornerbacks and will be without Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, along with backups Channing Canada and Karon Prunty, leaving the defense to patch together a depth chart against a Las Vegas group that wont have receiver Jalen Nailor but does have Ashton Jeanty available. [Read more 🡒]