The New England Patriots didn’t have A.J. Brown or Mack Hollins on the field against the Las Vegas Raiders, and Josh McDaniels responded by spreading the ball around instead of forcing one receiver to carry the load.
That approach worked. In a blowout win, five pass catchers finished with at least 40 receiving yards, and Drake Maye connected with nine different players overall.
For fantasy managers, it may not be the prettiest setup. For the Patriots, it got the job done.
Efton Chism II was the busiest option, drawing six targets, while the rest of the passing game stayed fairly balanced. Seven players saw at least three targets, which made for a steady, committee-style attack rather than a funnel to one primary weapon.
Romeo Doubs’ follow-up to his two-score outing was quieter, as he finished with one catch for 16 yards. Even so, Maye still found four other players for touchdown passes, and the Patriots turned in their best offensive performance of the season against a top-10 pass defense.
The receiver group may stay in that same shape for at least another week. Hollins’ right calf injury is not considered serious, and he could be back for Week 6 against the New York Jets. Still, calf injuries can linger, so the Patriots may choose to be cautious and hold him out again.
There’s also reason to keep an eye on the depth pieces even when the roster gets healthier. Chism has played his way into a role, and Kyle Williams made a strong case after turning three catches into 91 yards and a score.
The Patriots still need a featured target, and Brown’s return would help the passing game and Maye’s development now and down the road. But this game showed something useful: even without their top names, New England has enough options to make the offense function.
And for a group that may not get every look it wants, the buy-in showed up in the production.
In Other News...
Josh McDaniels May Be Unlocking What Patriots Fans Wanted From Drake Maye
Drake Mayes best stretch as a pro arrived at just the right time for the Patriots, and it gave New England something it has been searching for since drafting him: a passing game that finally looks dangerous. In the Week 5 rout of the Raiders, Maye threw four touchdown passes in a 45-17 win, and the offense looked far more comfortable than it did earlier in the season.
The surge did not come out of nowhere. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky pointed to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels for the adjustments helping Maye settle in, crediting the way the system has been reshaped around the quarterbacks strengths. For a Patriots team that has spent much of the start of the year trying to find its identity, the bigger question now is whether this version of the offense can hold up as defenses adjust back. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots May Have Found A New Weapon In Eli Raridon
Eli Raridon is starting to look like more than a rookie tight end trying to find his footing. In the Patriots win over the Raiders, he turned in the busiest receiving day of his young career, showing the kind of versatility New England hoped for when it brought him along as both a blocker and a pass-catching option. Even before that, Raridon had already flashed enough to matter, scoring a touchdown in his NFL debut and giving the offense a different look at a position that often has to do a little of everything.
Mike Vrabel has made it clear he sees the talent, and Raridons early progress has only added to the intrigue. He missed some time with a thigh injury, but he has still been on the field for a notable share of the offense and keeps finding ways to stay involved. For a Patriots team still sorting out where the next useful pieces come from, the question now is less whether Raridon can help and more how quickly that role can keep growing. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Made A Statement But Two Problems Still Stand Out
The Patriots 45-17 win over the Raiders offered plenty to like, starting with a confident showing from Drake Maye and an offense that kept rolling despite injuries to key players. New England looked far more in control than it has in stretches this season, and the result felt like the kind of statement win a team can build on as the schedule tightens.
Still, the film left a couple of familiar concerns in view. The defense had trouble handling Brock Bowers in space, and the penalty count kept undercutting some of the momentum the Patriots generated. It was a convincing victory, but the kind that also reminds a coaching staff there is still cleanup work ahead before this group can call itself fully complete. [Read more 🡒]