Sunday’s matchup between the Patriots and Dolphins features two teams already looking to turn around their seasons in Week 2.
The Patriots and Dolphins both got off to disappointing starts. Some members of the Patriots’ fanbase are already starting to panic.
Let’s talk them down a bit in this week’s Patriots mailbag.
#### @DeansDesk: How worried should we be about Drake Maye?
Week 1 is too early to be worried about Maye, but we can’t just assume that this giant leap is coming until we see it.
Maye showed improvement during the spring over OTAs and minicamp. But there wasn’t an obvious upward trajectory during training camp and the preseason. And then Maye looked like, in some ways, a less dangerous version of himself from last year in Week 1.
We need to see serious growth from Maye during the course of this season. That’s how Josh Allen’s second season played out with the Bills, and then he was one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks in Year 3. Allen was also coming into the league far less developed than Maye. So, the career arcs are definitely different, and expecting Maye to become Allen, a perennial MVP candidate, is unrealistic.
One final thing: It makes sense that the Patriots want to protect Maye and keep him away from unnecessary hits, but if he’s already struggling with accuracy and decision making, taking away his explosive-play ability on the ground will only further hamper the offense. Maye can’t run on every play, but he also can’t be scared to take off.
#### @Scott2345: what were your thoughts on Diggs week 1 performance? and do you think it gets better as the season goes along?
I was personally surprised that Stefon Diggs only played 40 of 71 snaps. He seemed ready to take on a full workload while speaking to the media last Wednesday. He finished behind Kayshon Boutte and DeMario Douglas and only two snaps ahead of Mack Hollins in total offensive snaps against the Raiders.
That being said, I thought he looked fine. It’s fair to question if he can be a bona fide No. 1 wide receiver, however.
Catching six passes on seven targets for 57 yards given his diminished snap count is relatively impressive. Extrapolate that over a full season and you’re talking about nearly 1,000 yards.
I think he will get better and more comfortable as the season goes along
#### @boom80517: This is not an over reaction, we all know work was not done on the WR room, but Sunday was a stark reminder. We still don’t have anyone on offense with any kind of gravity. Which WRs should we be watching in case they shake loose? Ceedee Lamb is the dream! Anyone else?
Let’s be fair, anything after Week 1 is a slight overreaction.
But, yeah, eventually the Patriots will need to go all-in on a legitimate top wide receiver, whether that’s through the draft or a trade, because those types of players never hit free agency.
Typically, players are traded after Year 3. If the Patriots were to trade for a wide receiver next offseason, they’d be looking at the 2023 NFL Draft class. It wasn’t a particularly strong one for wide receivers.
#### @Nuggsy\_Bogue: Should we expect Kayshon Boutte to continue to see a lot of targets each week
Yes, but it’s probably unreasonable to expect him to go off for 100 yards each week.
Boutte led all Patriots wide receivers in snaps in Week 1. He was also playing nearly every offensive snap last season, as well. It’s clear that Mike Vrabel, Josh McDaniels and last year’s coaching staff all trust Boutte as a blocker.
I still like Boutte’s upside. He looked like the next great LSU wide receiver early in his college career. Injuries and off-field issues slowed him, but he’s feeling good, and the coaching staff praised his maturity and professionalism this entire offseason.
#### @Patsfan19838268: After watching last night Vikings offense struggle severely until the run game got going vs our 13 points with no run game and stuck in mud, do you see the run game as the most important part of the upcoming game(s) to help Drake Maye?
Yes, improving and sticking with the run game should help the entire offense immensely.
Let’s also point out that McCarthy made several big plays in the fourth quarter of that game and put his team on his shoulders to win. We know that Maye can do that, but it was something that he lacked in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings.
#### @BobRyan1978: Do you think we will be seeing more Kyle Williams and Efton Chism instead of guys like Mack Hollins? If not this week, how long will it take for a spark plug like Chism to not be a healthy scratch? #MailDoug
The only real path for Chism to see significant playing time would be at the expense of DeMario Douglas, since both players are primarily slot receivers. Douglas didn’t have a great game on Sunday, but I would be surprised if the Patriots were willing to make a switch there this soon.
And Hollins played nearly all of the Patriots’ rushing snaps. So, clearly the Patriots value his role as a blocker in the run game. Hollins is a much bigger player than Williams, so once again, I’d be surprised if the Patriots were willing to make a switch there this early.
That being said, Williams is a speedy, big-play threat at wide receiver, and it’s certainly worth carving out a few snaps to give him a bigger role.
#### @AndrewAM18: Should we start panicking about the Pass defense?
The Patriots were playing without their best pass defender last week with Christian Gonzalez out. So, it’s too early to panic about the pass defense.
I thought Carlton Davis and Alex Austin played well, and the Patriots generated significantly more pass rush than last year’s defense.
#### @Michael81267864: Will we run the ball more than 12 times against Miami?
They absolutely need to. The Patriots’ run blocking was seriously lacking against the Raiders, but rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson especially needs to see more than five carries this week against the Dolphins.
He’s a big-play threat every time he touches the ball, and he can keep moving forward through contact.