The Patriots are desperate for reinforcements.
A skeleton crew of pass catchers helped New England to a 24-19 win over the Dolphins in Week 8, as Drake Maye started the game with receivers Romeo Doubs and Mack Hollins on injured reserve, and All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown was scratched Saturday with a concerning knee injury.
Maye was left with a trio of DeMario Douglas, Efton Chism, and Kyle Williams. Practice squad player Ryan Miller was elevated to the 53-man roster once Brown was ruled out; at 6-foot-2, he was the only receiver over 6 feet tall. Running back TreVeyon Henderson was also sidelined, leaving Rhamondre Stevenson to shoulder an admirable workload in his absence.
Potential disaster struck midway through the first half when tight end Hunter Henry headed to the blue medical tent, then the locker room, with a foot injury. He tried to return to the sideline, but after testing the foot, he sat out the remainder of the game. The nine-year veteran entered the game as Maye’s leading target with 296 receiving yards this season.
The Patriots cannot continue limping toward the November 10 trade deadline, merely hoping their injury luck turns. Getting past the Dolphins on bare bones is one thing, but the remainder of the schedule features daunting matchups against the Packers, Lions, Bills, Vikings, Chiefs, and Broncos—and that is before playoff contention even enters the picture.
New England’s front office took big swings at receiver this offseason: they threw a bag at free agent Doubs and traded hefty draft capital for Brown. Brown’s flare-up is deeply concerning. The Patriots paid a premium to acquire him, knowing full well that chronic knee issues have followed him from Tennessee to Philadelphia. Having already missed four games with a high ankle sprain, Brown is exceptionally banged up for a 29-year-old receiver in Week 8.
Maye could get some relief with Hollins eligible to return for next week’s tilt against Green Bay, but Doubs will not be able to return until after the bye week. While New England’s injured reserve list is bad, it is not the league's worst—the 49ers and Texans lead the way, with New England tied with the Cardinals and Packers to round out the top five. Still, their training room is crowded enough for the Red Sox to send a star player to Fort Myers to rehab (if you know, you know).
One area the front office must seriously consider addressing before the deadline is tight end, especially if Henry’s foot continues to limit him. Free-agent signing Julian Hill is out for the season, and while rookie Eli Raridon has shown flashes in the passing game, his blocking woes offer no relief to an equally battered offensive line. Raridon has also committed costly false starts in back-to-back weeks, including a drive-killer in the red zone on Sunday.
Would the Patriots be bold enough to call the Eagles back and inquire about Dallas Goedert as a pure rental? They should. Maye proved once again that he can turn chicken excrement into chicken salad, but if the Patriots expect to contend in January, they have to give their young quarterback better ingredients to work with.
On the other side of the ball, New England virtually ran out of edge rushers once Dre’Mont Jones left with an injury, forcing depth tackle Leonard Taylor III to fill in on the edge.
A midseason deal does not have to be a blockbuster pass catcher or edge rusher. Perhaps the Patriots flirt with adding backfield depth, though any ground game’s success hinges on health along the offensive front. Or perhaps they retool the defensive trenches altogether; Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported that Christian Barmore is on the trade block, meaning the front office could look for a steadier, more consistent presence inside.
Whichever path the front office chooses, this roster has shown it is worthy of further investment after a rocky start. Scraping together a gritty win on any given Sunday is fine in short bursts, but that pace is unsustainable for the marathon ahead.
