With Drake Maye at the helm, rookie receivers out of excuses
The final four games of the Patriots season are “prove it” time for New England’s pair of rookie wide receivers, and quarterback Drake Maye is dedicated to giving them any opportunity to show out.
There are no excuses left for the lack of production from Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker. Maye has shown himself to be worthy of building around in 2025, and they have to do something – anything – to suggest the same.
“I think those guys see it in their eyes and see it in the way they're practicing that, ‘Hey, this is a step for me to showcase what I can do.’ For those guys in my class, I think they're ready for it, and I'm going to give them some chances,” Maye said before practice Wednesday. “It's on me, too, to give them some chances and not force the ball, but give them some opportunities, go make some plays. You see it in practice, and you just want to see it in the games.”
It’s all well and good for Maye to shoulder the responsibility of making his receivers look good, but he’s never been a lick of the problem. What looked like a mere mental issue of drops from Polk has now festered into questionable route running and spacing. Baker has been given the opportunity to showcase his athleticism as a returner with special teams, but failed to commit to the fundamentals of that minor role.
Second round pick Polk ranks 202nd in receiving yards entering Week 14, behind former Patriot Jalen Reagor and both Patriots running backs. He has just 87 on a dozen catches. What makes those numbers even tougher to swallow is Ladd McConkey – the receiver who was sitting right in the New England’s original pick position, has 815 yards on 58 catches.
Baker, who missed Wednesday’s practice with a concussion (that is one valid excuse), took over K.J. Osborn’s old locker. He’s now closer to veterans DeMario Douglas and Kendrick Bourne when getting ready for practice.
“Just hearing us, being around us, being close – I think it just helps. Our experience, obviously, I’ve been playing for a little while, so just helping those guys with little gems here and there you might not hear when you’re across [the room],” Bourne said.
Bourne praised Maye’s awareness of his receivers and their production – or lack thereof:
“At wideout, you don’t know where the ball’s going to go.
You might not get the ball, sometimes, you might get the ball the most. Those times when you don’t get the ball, it’s hard to stay in the game, stay focused.
So I think he just has a good feel, understanding that. He’s not in that position, but he feels, as a receiver, he’s able to get us the ball.”
“It does come down to practice,” he continued. “The ball chooses who it wants to choose and it goes off the defense. I don’t think it’s, we meet about it, ‘You’re going to get the ball five times.’ No, it’s just, if you’re in the right position then he’s going to throw it to the right place.
He’s that kind of player. As individuals, we have to be in the right spot.”
It sounds simple, as Maye has said football usually is. But it hasn’t proven to be that easy for weapons in his class. Now is the time to change that.
