Sunday could prove to mark a turning point for the Patriots offense.
New England struggled to move the football and put up points with Jacoby Brissett, who quarterbacked his team to a 1-4 record through five weeks. Hoping for a spark, Jerod Mayo and company made a change behind center before the Patriots’ Week 6 matchup with the Texans.
The offense figures to operate differently with Drake Maye calling the shots, including a potential uptick in opportunities for playmakers.
“Patriots wide receivers have the fewest catches (39) and receiving yards (342) in the NFL. Will the team’s switch to Maye — with (Ja’Lynn) Polk, second-year player Kayshon Boutte and top slot DeMario Douglas in leading roles — help increase those numbers?” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in a column published Sunday.
“They have been challenged to show it, with one team source saying this week, ‘The ball’s coming out (on time), so let’s see what you got.'”
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It should be taken with a grain of salt, but New England’s offense did seem to have a better rhythm in the preseason when Maye was on the field. The 22-year-old seemingly has progressed quite a bit since late August, so we could see a recharged unit at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
The Patriots and Texans will kick off their matinee matchup at 1 p.m. ET.
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