FOXBORO — What are the stakes? The Patriots have little or no to play for in terms of the standings. If something, there needs to be some stage of trying to on the very least match final 12 months’s atrocious four-win file.
But, the stakes exist. They exist for a training employees with a couple of coordinators whose seats should be warm with the offseason approaching. They exist for a roster stuffed with gamers whose 2025 whereabouts are unsure, needing to place out as a lot competent tape as doable as they hope to earn jobs for subsequent season.
And so they exist for Patriots decision-makers, who want to make use of the soccer left to get an actual gauge on what they’ve of their younger gamers as they appear to construct their group for the longer term.
Layden Robinson has acquitted himself comparatively nicely within the final two video games whereas permitting only one strain. He is one in all simply eight guards within the NFL with a minimum of 75 whole snaps in Weeks 16 and 17 who has allowed lower than two pressures in that span. Maybe he is on observe to tackle the group’s beginning left guard function subsequent season.
Cole Unusual is wanting like he’ll begin at heart in Week 17, giving him an opportunity to indicate what he can do after lacking many of the season following a knee harm that ended his 2023 marketing campaign prematurely.
At receiver, the outlook is much less optimistic. It is my understanding that Ja’Lynn Polk was mentioned by the Patriots as a wholesome scratch previous to the Payments recreation, and he ended up enjoying solely three snaps in that recreation. Javon Baker seems to have labored his approach past Polk on the depth chart, however not in a big approach, enjoying eight snaps in Buffalo.
On Polk specifically, one would assume the group hoped coming off its bye week in Week 14 that their second-round decide would have the ability to settle in and make a push towards salvaging the again finish of his first 12 months as a professional. As a substitute, he seems to be trending within the fallacious route. And New England’s opponent Sunday is simply one other reminder as to what would possibly’ve been had the group approached the second spherical in another way again within the spring.
Sitting at decide No. 34 total, the Patriots watched Florida State wideout Keon Coleman go to the Payments at No. 33. Then, bypassing a chance to draft Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey, Eliot Wolf traded down to select No. 37, sending a fifth-round decide and receiving a fourth-rounder from the Chargers within the course of.
The Chargers grabbed McConkey and have reaped the rewards, as he is racked up 69 catches for 960 yards and 5 touchdowns. In 14 video games, Polk has 12 catches for 87 yards and two scores. Baker, whom the Patriots chosen with the fourth-rounder acquired within the deal, hasn’t made a reception.
The analysis continues on Sunday. Listed here are the matchups to look at within the recreation…
Matchup that’ll decide the end result
Drake Maye vs. Derwin James
The Chargers have a fast-flowing protection led by their Swiss Military knife security Derwin James. If the Patriots are going to proceed to assault via the air with their quick passing recreation, they might have bother discovering room to function Sunday.
Per Subsequent Gen Stats, Drake Maye is the among the best quick passers in soccer. On passes that journey lower than 10 yards past the road of scrimmage, he has the sixth-best yards-per-attempt determine (6.6) and the sixth-best success fee (56.1 p.c). Nonetheless, the Chargers solely permit 5.4 yards per try on these sorts of throws, which is the third-best amongst NFL defenses this season.
If New England cannot transfer the chains with shorter throws as a result of James and Co. suffocate them, this one could possibly be over shortly. Until…
Matchup that’ll shock you
Chargers protection versus Alex Van Pelt
…The Chargers proceed to play the best way they’ve performed the final two weeks on the defensive aspect of the ball. The Buccaneers put up 40 factors in opposition to them two weeks in the past. Final week, Jim Harbaugh’s membership had its points at instances preserving Bo Nix and the Broncos in test.
The superior numbers from these two video games aren’t variety to Los Angeles. They’re twenty eighth in EPA per play allowed and twenty ninth in EPA per dropback allowed.
If that continues at Gillette Stadium, maybe offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt can draw up some performs for Maye to run his landing cross streak to eight video games — the longest streak for any rookie since Justin Herbert threw for touchdowns in 10 straight video games again in 2020.
Matchup that’ll take years off your life
Justin Herbert vs. Patriots cross rushers
Keion White made headlines late this week when he appeared to voice some displeasure with what he is been requested to do as an outdoor linebacker. He is been requested to be sound in opposition to the run. His pass-rush numbers — and people of the complete group — have been down. Apparently, that is led to some displeasure for the second-year defender.
If he cannot get after the quarterback once more this week, it could possibly be an extended day for his group, as a result of Herbert is dynamite when not pressured. He is seventh within the league in yards per try when not pressured (8.3), eighth in ranking (110.5), and he hasn’t thrown a decide when saved clear.
Sadly for the Patriots, they see numerous passing reps from opposing quarterbacks who aren’t pressured. They’re fourth-worst within the NFL in quarterback strain fee (29.7 p.c).
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