Surprise player/who improved the most on offense this season?

[Hammer of Thor]

We're heading into what would normally be the last week of the season, and by now, there would typically be at least one player (Mac Jones aside) who would have quietly been a guy who surprised us after stepping up this season and having a solid year.

Other than Damien Harris (who I thought ran the ball even better than he did last year) or Rhamondre Stevenson, I'm actually having a tough time thinking of one this year...which is a strange thing to say at this point of the season. Again, this would normally be the final weekend under the old format, so it's just a weird reality and I've been trying to come up with a few people (maybe also Bolden?) but it's been tougher than I thought.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

How about Jakob Johnson raising his level of play? He’s not Develin yet but he was the best in the game so that’s an unfair expectation. Johnson has been much more consistent and effective than last year.

 

[Steve102]

1. Mac Jones
2. Bolden
3. Bourne To Run After The Catch
4. Jakob Johnson
5. Hunter Henry

Defensively I like Christian Barmore a lot. Matt Judon is above and beyond what we thought he would be. JC Jackson is a dude.

 

[captain stone]

Rham Tough is our most productive player on offense; but he’s a rookie so that disqualifies him…

The Omen is who he was last season: productive but prone to injury & fumbles…

Mac is also disqualified for the same reason, but he’s getting Worse as the games pile up and the weather gets cold so I wouldn’t have included him anyway…

Meyers has not improved but instead has plateaued; he’s just a #4 masquerading as a 1/2…

Kendrick Bourne qualifies if his time in SF is taken into account…

3/5ths of the OL are playing out of position, so it’s difficult to say if any of them have actually improved…

TE? Yeah right…

 

[TheRainMaker]

Dugger for me. He was pretty bad as a rookie making almost zero impact the amount of time he played in 2020.

This year, he’s on pace for 100+ total tackles, 3 INT’s and 4 PD’s.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Nkeal harry - i figured hed have about 160 yards recieving this year but he’s already shattered my expectations with 184 yards

 

[jdlboot14]

I'll take this question with a bit different viewpoint. Looking at this team with a re-building mindset, I think we have found a few solid pieces to anchor going forward. Obviously, I think Mac is as good of a rookie QB we could have hoped to find, and at this point I want to ride with him for at least 3 more years to see where he can go.
Then, Harris, Bourne & Henry are skill players that I think can carry on the Patriot Way. Both on the field and off - which is super important.
They seem to have the heart and mind that can carry us into a new generation.
On D, I think it's Phillips, Judon & (maybe Barmore, JC - if they pay him)

 

[BTTA]

We're heading into what would normally be the last week of the season, and by now, there would typically be at least one player (Mac Jones aside) who would have quietly been a guy who surprised us after stepping up this season and having a solid year.

Other than Damien Harris (who I thought ran the ball even better than he did last year) or Rhamondre Stevenson, I'm actually having a tough time thinking of one this year...which is a strange thing to say at this point of the season. Again, this would normally be the final weekend under the old format, so it's just a weird reality and I've been trying to come up with a few people (maybe also Bolden?) but it's been tougher than I thought.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

So you ask the question and remove the top 4 from the list?!
How many years would we have many more than that?
Most of the O line has played better than I expected, until the last couple of games anyway.
The skill positions are dominated by newcomers.

 

[Ian]

So you ask the question and remove the top 4 from the list?!
How many years would we have many more than that?
Most of the O line has played better than I expected, until the last couple of games anyway.
The skill positions are dominated by newcomers.

LOL, I meant other than the obvious. We sort of knew coming into this year that Harris was on to something, so I think him taking a backwards step would have been a surprise. And you're right about the O-Line, especially with how the season started off. But it was just strange to not see any of the other skill position guys really step up and have a surprising year. They were all just good...we just never saw any of them go off and have an unusually great year.

 

[BTTA]

LOL, I meant other than the obvious. We sort of knew coming into this year that Harris was on to something, so I think him taking a backwards step would have been a surprise. And you're right about the O-Line, especially with how the season started off. But it was just strange to not see any of the other skill position guys really step up and have a surprising year. They were all just good...we just never saw any of them go off and have an unusually great year.

And that fact has me, for the first time ever, agreeing with the "we need an explosive playmaker" crowd about offseason improvements. Normally I interpret that as the corrosive influence of fantasy into fans' brains, but it does seem to be what's missing from an offense that has just about everything else. Perhaps someone with more sudden quickness in the slot.

 

[Ian]

And that fact has me, for the first time ever, agreeing with the "we need an explosive playmaker" crowd about offseason improvements. Normally I interpret that as the corrosive influence of fantasy into fans' brains, but it does seem to be what's missing from an offense that has just about everything else. Perhaps someone with more sudden quickness in the slot.

I'm with you there. I thought the tight ends, along with Agholor and Bourne, would have led to Meyers having a bigger season. It's just bizarre how things played out, although, at the same time, as @Kontradiction pointed out, we are working with a rookie QB and that gets lost because of how well he played this season. But I expected us to see at least a game or two where someone really blew up and took a step forward and heading into what is normally the last game of the year, that hasn't transpired. It's just odd.

 

[Brady6]

Easily, N’Keal Harry!

His 12 receptions for no touchdowns is almost impossible to do while starting all 15 games. I doubt any other WR in the NFL can have that little production with that much playing time.

He is truly something special!

He can’t even catch COVID.

 

[Joker]

He can’t even catch COVID.

he did...the covid dropped HIM

 

[ctpatsfan77]

based on performance and salary I would say :
Bourne and Henry performed well but Bourne needs to get more targets and snaps
Smith and Agholor are underachieving the expectations

Also I expected Onwenu to make a second year jump which did not happen

Somehow having Wynn–Onwenu–Andrews didn't work. I have no idea why.

 

[Scotty]

Good point , I am not aware of Onwenu playing badly I guess the coaches thought they had the best OLine set up and have other plays for Onwenu

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

Somehow having Wynn–Onwenu–Andrews didn't work. I have no idea why.

I wonder about it myself. I mean he did not play bad just not really improved from last year at least it looks like it after loosing starting job

 

[PP2]

WHAT THE FOLK???

Easily Nick Folk... I would have never, in a thousand years, envision an ex-Jet, 37 year old kicker, emerging as one of the NFL's best kickers.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

Bolden

 

[captain stone]

Somehow having Wynn–Onwenu–Andrews didn't work. I have no idea why.

Good point , I am not aware of Onwenu playing badly I guess the coaches thought they had the best OLine set up and have other plays for Onwenu

I wonder about it myself. I mean he did not play bad just not really improved from last year at least it looks like it after loosing starting job

Big Mike’s not a Left Guard; that’s a position meant for athletes such as Mankin$, Thuney & Wynn/Lose… Dude’s a Right-side Road-Grader who had Zero experience in college other than RG; heck during his rookie TC there had been talk of a position switch to…NT!

As soon as Trent Brown & his Calf of Renown showed that he could stay on the field longer than one series every 6 games, then his transition/return to LT (and Wynn/Lose’s to LG, HIS more natural position) should’ve begun apace…

Brown - Wynn - Andrews - Mason - Onwenu should’ve been the starting OL already, NOT Wynn - Karras - Andrews - Mason - Brown, with Onwenu in this ****ing dumb-ass part-time role.

 

[captain stone]

WHAT THE FOLK???

Easily Nick Folk... I would have never, in a thousand years, envision an ex-Jet, 37 year old kicker, emerging as one of the NFL's best kickers.

Yep, I should’ve included Saint Nick of Time Folk in the offensive ass-essment; the job he’s done here the past two seasons dwarfs anything that the dude who “helped” us lose the 2015 AFCC ever did here.

 

[Scotty]

Big Mike’s not a Left Guard; that’s a position meant for athletes such as Mankin$, Thuney & Wynn/Lose… Dude’s a Right-side Road-Grader who had Zero experience in college other than RG; heck during his rookie TC there had been talk of a position switch to…NT!

As soon as Trent Brown & his Calf of Renown showed that he could stay on the field longer than one series every 6 games, then his transition/return to LT (and Wynn/Lose’s to LG, HIS more natural position) should’ve begun apace…

Brown - Wynn - Andrews - Mason - Onwenu should’ve been the starting OL already, NOT Wynn - Karras - Andrews - Mason - Brown, with Onwenu in this ****ing dumb-ass part-time role.

Capn, I understand your point I just dont remember Mike having a bad time at LG last year ? Maybe I should look back and check before talking !