The Patriots walked out of Miami with a 24-19 Week 8 win, and Drake Maye kept the offense moving despite a battered lineup. He finished with 199 passing yards on 16 completions, two touchdowns, and no interceptions against a Dolphins team that pushed New England all the way.
That makes the timing of Mack Hollins’ possible return in Week 9 against the Packers even more important. The Patriots got through the Miami game without Maye’s top three receivers, A.J.
Brown, Mack Hollins, and Romeo Doubs, and still found a way to win. Getting Hollins back would give Maye another trusted target right when the offense needs one.
Before going down in game four against Buffalo, Hollins had 15 catches for 209 yards across four games. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but his value has never been about flash. At 6'4" and 221 pounds, he gives New England a big body who can go up and win balls that other receivers simply can’t reach.
That kind of presence matters even more with the Patriots dealing with injuries all over the offense. The offensive line has taken hits too, including both starting guards, Mike Onwenu and Alijah Vera-Tucker. With that kind of pressure up front, Maye has had to carry a heavy load, and the return of a reliable receiver like Hollins would help ease some of it.
It also matters because Hollins brings experience to a young receiving group. The 33-year-old is the Patriots’ tallest receiver and their most seasoned one, which makes him especially valuable to players like Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III. For a team trying to hold up over the final nine games, that kind of steadiness counts.
There’s another layer to it as well. Hunter Henry left the Miami game with a foot injury, and if he misses time, the tight end room gets thin fast. With only Eli Raridon and rookie Tanner Arkin available, Hollins could even be asked to help cover some of that ground.
New England is 5-3 and sits a game and a half behind the Bills in the AFC East, with Buffalo holding a game in hand. Injuries have clearly shaped the Patriots’ season, but the return of players like Hollins could give the offense a much-needed lift down the stretch.
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So far, the transition has mostly held together. The group has avoided giving up a touchdown, but there have been some issues in kick coverage, which has kept the attention on a phase that usually flies under the radar unless something goes wrong. For the Patriots, the bigger picture is still about developing a young special teams roster while trying to keep the operation steady enough to avoid the kind of hidden-yardage problems that can swing a game. [Read more 🡒]
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DeMario Douglas Is Making Patriots Free Agency Much Harder
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The timing only adds to the intrigue because Douglas is headed for unrestricted free agency after the season. For a team that needs dependable pass-catchers and has watched its receiving room get stretched thin, his recent surge is the kind of development that can complicate everything from roster planning to contract talks, especially if this version of Douglas proves to be the one New England is getting going forward. [Read more 🡒]