Patriots Rookies Struggle Against Jaguars, One Standout Shines
The New England Patriots’ trip to London ended in disappointment, and with plenty of bad football being played by the team. Its rookie players were not immune to it either, as the group as a whole had a rather rough go versus the Jacksonville Jaguars — with one notable exception in the form of quarterback Drake Maye.
With that said, let’s assess how New England’s drafted and undrafted rookies alike fared in the 32-16 loss in Week 7.
Game day roster
QB Drake Maye: Even though he is now 0-2 as a starting quarterback in the NFL, first-round draft pick Drake Maye continues to play promising football and be one of the few positives for this team at the moment. Against Jacksonville, Maye went 26-of-37 (70.3%) for 276 yards with a pair of touchdowns to JaMycal Hasty and K.J. Osborn. Despite completing passes at a rate of 70.3 percent, he did have some accuracy issues but overall played a promising game that saw him react well to pressure, showcase his natural arm talent, and make plays with his legs; he finished the day as New England’s co-leader in rushing yards, tying Rhamondre Stevenson’s 18 yards.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk: Polk looked like an instant difference-maker for the Patriots in training camp, but he has recently hit a roadblock in his development. Sunday’s performance might have been his most disappointing yet: before exiting the game in the fourth quarter with a head injury, the second-round selection did not catch a single ball on four targets. On two of those plays, he was able to get his hands on the ball but unable to finish what would have been difficult but makable receptions.
RG Layden Robinson: With the Patriots reshuffling their offensive line yet again, Robinson was moved back into the starting lineup. Opening the game as the top option at right guard, he looked solid in pass protection — his biggest weakness early in the season — on the first two drives. However, he suffered what turned out to be a game-ending ankle injury on his 19th snap of the day in the early second period.
