FOXBORO, Mass. — Brandon LaFell’s 2015 season debut was forgettable.
LaFell, who missed the New England Patriots’ first five games while on the PUP list, returned Sunday against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots wide receiver marked the occasion by dropping six passes from quarterback Tom Brady and finishing with just two catches for 25 yards in New England’s 30-23 victory.
“If I had to give myself a grade, it would be an ‘F,’ ” LaFell said after the game. “I let the ball get out of my hands too many times. Tom threw some good balls, I should have caught them.
“But overall, we got the win. I just have to get back to it. We have a short week. Dust the cobwebs off and come back out here and play.”
The Patriots looked at times like they were playing with Vaseline on their hands, as New England’s receivers finished with nine drops. LaFell was the worst offender, though Brady continued to look his way, perhaps in an effort to boost the receiver’s confidence in his first game back from a foot injury.
“That’s my guy,” LaFell said of Brady. “He kept telling me, ‘I’m going to come back to you. I’ve got to get you going.’ I just couldn’t get it going (Sunday). But I’m just happy (Danny Amendola), (Julian Edelman), (Rob Gronkowski), those guys made plays to pick me up in the fourth quarter because I wasn’t playing too good.”
It’s not surprising to see a player start slow after a five-game layoff. As LaFell noted after the win, things move much faster during a game than they do during practice. There’s definitely an adjustment period, even if it usually isn’t quite as pronounced as LaFell’s rough performance against the Jets.
But that notion doesn’t mean much to LaFell, who was pleased with the Patriots’ win yet very hard on himself for letting so many opportunities to make plays literally slip through his fingertips.
“First game, last game, it doesn’t matter,” LaFell said. “I expect more out of myself, and my teammates expect more from me. I’m just really down on myself right now, but I’m happy for the other guys around me, stepping their level of play up, and (they) held on for us and made plays when we needed.”
Fortunately for LaFell, he won’t have to wait long before trying to atone for his shaky effort. The Patriots will host the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night as they look to improve to 7-0.
“I had a bad day,” LaFell said. “I’ve got to get past it and come back and play better Thursday.”
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
