The pats need to make a switch at slot WR

[BennyBledsoe]

It's one game. One. I am just as ugly about it as everyone else, but I think we collectively had delusions of grandeur that they were going to flip to page and suddenly be better simply because they added quality coaching and started turning the roster over. The QB is still just a 22 year old kid that didn't come from a QB Factory college. The WRs are still meh. (Boutte had a nice day) The #4 pick looked like a rookie, but for the most part had an ok day. Defense gave up way too many chunk plays, and they didn't run the ball for ****.

1) Very much agree with pretty much everything you said here. Don't forget that Belichick's turnaround of the Patriots began with a harsh first year, too. Lots of roster turnover. And they were still churning the roster in year 2. Year 1 was a 5-11 team that looked like they were completely out of their depth most of the time.

2) I never thought I'd see a Gorkon GIF in a Patriots forum. Love to see it! <--- huge TOS/TNG era Trek fan.

 

[dliverey44]

Let's be honest does anybody here think K Boutte is a better WR than Pop?? I don't think so: Pop have the potential to be a volume catcher from the Slot: but we need Maye to put it on him: and not over or behind him in the Slot.

Yes I do, but they are different WRs, I do not think that Pop can be a volume guy in the slot and I feel that Booty can be on the outside. I was actually shocked that there were not more slants yesterday.

 

[Steve102]

1) Very much agree with pretty much everything you said here. Don't forget that Belichick's turnaround of the Patriots began with a harsh first year, too. Lots of roster turnover. And they were still churning the roster in year 2. Year 1 was a 5-11 team that looked like they were completely out of their depth most of the time.

2) I never thought I'd see a Gorkon GIF in a Patriots forum. Love to see it! <--- huge TOS/TNG era Trek fan.

I've rolled Gorkon out here before. His exasperation in that scene is exactly how I felt after yesterday.

And an excellent point about BB and year 1. It was the year 2 off season and the emergence of Brady that propelled them that year.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

Yes I do, but they are different WRs, I do not think that Pop can be a volume guy in the slot and I feel that Booty can be on the outside. I was actually shocked that there were not more slants yesterday.

I have not seen the All-22, but if the running game struggled due to the box being being packed, it is also harder to run slants with more defenders in the middle of the field.

 

[Ring 6]

Can we make a switch @ Young QB too?? I mean while we're at it.

Why would you do that? Stop being that guy.

 

[Ring 6]

Let's be honest does anybody here think K Boutte is a better WR than Pop?? I don't think so: Pop have the potential to be a volume catcher from the Slot: but we need Maye to put it on him: and not over or behind him in the Slot.

Yes Boutte is clearly a better WR than Douglas.

 

[Drunken Cicerone]

He was the first Patriots WR to have more than 100 yards in a game since....was it Kendrick Bourne in 2021?

Boutte looked like a pro receiver, a real bright spot.

Pairing him up with another legitimate NFL receiver (Diggs) helped him. Let’s not forget the burning garbage we have been throwing out at WR in recent seasons.

 

[PatsFan2]

Yes Boutte is clearly a better WR than Douglas.

I'm not giving up on Pop Douglas; my prediction was a least 800yds in the Slot for him if healthy.

 

[Ring 6]

I'm not giving up on Pop Douglas; my prediction was a least 800yds in the Slot for him if healthy.

Well that still wouldn’t make him better than Boutte.
I’m not giving up on him either but he has always been very inconsistent. Hes had a lot of games like yesterday.

 

[Ring 6]

Douglas was not terrible.

BTW, both Boutte and Diggs can play from the slot position.

There was nothing in the play of WR's that should lead to Chism playing.

-2 receiving yards is absolutely terrible

 

[PatsFan2]

Well that still wouldn’t make him better than Boutte.
I’m not giving up on him either but he has always been very inconsistent. Hes had a lot of games like yesterday.

Now we have to wonder if he's a chicken from the Slot: a guy who hear footsteps ie... LBs and Safeties?? IF Pop don't like to be hit: we have to give Chism a shot. McDaniels Offense relies on a Volume Slot not a pedestrian one. Pop is another player to watch closely next week: you are not alone Maye.

 

[imahobgoblin]

Now we have to wonder if he's a chicken from the Slot: a guy who hear footsteps ie... LBs and Safeties?? IF Pop don't like to be hit: we have to give Chism a shot. McDaniels Offense relies on a Volume Slot not a pedestrian one. Pop is another player to watch closely next week: you are not alone Maye.

IT WAS ONE FREAKING GAME, YOU CLOWN SHOW.

 

[dliverey44]

I have not seen the All-22, but if the running game struggled due to the box being being packed, it is also harder to run slants with more defenders in the middle of the field.

Thats a fair and good point

 

[JoeSixPat]

He had receivers wide open all day.
Switching the slot receiver isn't going to make them more open.

If Drake Maye can't absolutely feast against zone coverage, he won't be long for this league.

I actually thought they did a great job spreading the ball and showing that single coverage on a lot of guys is a liability.

Yeah I saw some overthrows and missed throws too but overall I thought the WRs did a decent job and while the running game wasn't exactly what we wanted, Henderson is another clear weapon that Ds will have to gameplan for.

So yeah, Maye needs to be more accurate but I like our foundation of WRs and I think Maye and the OL will get a little more settled which will improve accuracy.

Maye really seemed like a different QB in the 2nd half but I think we'll see more first half Maye over time.

 

[Patjew]

Maye seemed slower to me yesterday, too. I hope it was from over-thinking that can be corrected. He actually looked smaller than before, too. I was wondering if someone snuck Mac back in there.

 

[JoeSixPat]

He was the first Patriots WR to have more than 100 yards in a game since....was it Kendrick Bourne in 2021?

Boutte looked like a pro receiver, a real bright spot.

Damn nice to see the debate of who was better - Pop Douglas or Boutte with over 100 yards! Like me, you're thrilled with both! Not sure why others aren't.

I feel more confident about the 2025 team after Game 1 than I did about the 2024 team after Game 1

 

[Ring 6]

Now we have to wonder if he's a chicken from the Slot: a guy who hear footsteps ie... LBs and Safeties?? IF Pop don't like to be hit: we have to give Chism a shot. McDaniels Offense relies on a Volume Slot not a pedestrian one. Pop is another player to watch closely next week: you are not alone Maye.

Maye is fine

 

[Ring 6]

I actually thought they did a great job spreading the ball and showing that single coverage on a lot of guys is a liability.

Yeah I saw some overthrows and missed throws too but overall I thought the WRs did a decent job and while the running game wasn't exactly what we wanted, Henderson is another clear weapon that Ds will have to gameplan for.

So yeah, Maye needs to be more accurate but I like our foundation of WRs and I think Maye and the OL will get a little more settled which will improve accuracy.

Maye really seemed like a different QB in the 2nd half but I think we'll see more first half Maye over time.

Mostly the WRs did well. Boutte was a beast. Diggs caught 6 balls in limited action. Douglas got 7 targets. We need to get Hollins off the field, he is useless.
The real problem is after a good first half; Maye was 14/20/150 and he was 6/8/120 to Henry and Boutte with almost no yac, the average completion was 18 air yards beyond the line. That’s a lot of completions in the 15-20 yard downfield range for a half.

But since Henderson and Stevenson got a combined ZERO carries in the 2nd half the raiders abandoned run defense focus on those intermediate passes and we had a second half of dump offs or no one open.

This offense works best the way it was called on the first half with Maye pushing the ball often into that 15-20 yard area, but YOU HAVE TO RUN THE BALL to get those looks and then you even open the deep ball, which might be Mayes #1 strength.

An entire half, with 32 offensive plays and ZERO handoffs to your RB1 or RB2 isn’t a contribution to the problem it IS THE PROBLEM.
You might as well tell them go ahead and defend what we want to do and what we do best, because we aren’t going to try to do anything else.

You can bet Vrabel say Josh down today for a big WTF conversation

 

[Ring 6]

He was the first Patriots WR to have more than 100 yards in a game since....was it Kendrick Bourne in 2021?

Boutte looked like a pro receiver, a real bright spot.

The last Patriot with more than 100 receiving yards before yesterday was Kayshon Boutte the last game he played.

 

[Patjew]

I thought Maye looked bad-OK-awful during the game, but what really perplexed me (and AA the color man) was the bizarre play calling