After months of follow, preseason video games and rampant hypothesis in regards to the 2023 Patriots season, Week 1 is lastly right here.
Let’s reply your last-minute questions earlier than the Patriots open the season in opposition to the Eagles on Sunday on this version of the mailbag.
Tweet your inquiries to @DougKyed or electronic mail them to [email protected].
@JayKuervo
#MailDoug Which pass-catcher ends with essentially the most yards?
My fellow Patriots beat author Andrew Callahan and I thought-about debating this final week for our massive soccer preview. We opted for whether or not or not the Patriots would make the playoffs as an alternative. (I mentioned sure, for the report.)
Now, to reply the query at hand, I’ll say JuJu Smith-Schuster, but it surely’s actually shut between him and Kendrick Bourne. I’d toss DeVante Parker into the combination, but it surely’s not encouraging that he’s already banged up.
Smith-Schuster didn’t precisely have essentially the most standout summer time, however he ought to be a goal eater within the offense. The Patriots like his yards-after-catch capability, which is likely one of the the explanation why he was signed over Jakobi Meyers this offseason. And so long as he’s wholesome, he ought to be getting near a full share of offensive snaps.
The Patriots consider Smith-Schuster has inside-outside versatility. They appear to ascertain him as a slot receiver, however he can transfer outdoors in several eventualities. When the Patriots are in 12 personnel with two tight ends on the sector, he can play outdoors, and if Parker misses time this season, he can slide out to the X-receiver function. If Bourne misses any time, then Smith-Schuster has the flexibility to maneuver out to the Z function, and rookie Demario Douglas might get some appears within the slot.
Bourne might have an enormous season, as nicely, but when Smith-Schuster and Parker are each wholesome, then gamers like Douglas and tight finish Mike Gesicki might eat into a few of Bourne’s snaps. Tight finish Hunter Henry ought to be a productive possibility within the crimson zone, but when he leads the group in receiving yards, then one thing has most likely gone mistaken on the huge receiver place.
The Patriots don’t have the strongest receiving corps, but it surely actually appears higher after watching what the Chiefs trotted on the market on Thursday evening for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He focused 12 completely different pass-catchers with tight finish Travis Kelce out. None of them had 50 or extra receiving yards, and Mahomes accomplished simply over 50% of his passes.
It was shades of the 2006 Patriots. Kadarius Toney was doing his greatest Reche Caldwell impression. The Chiefs might have used Smith-Schuster, who helped them win a Super Bowl in 2022.
Say what you’ll in regards to the Patriots’ operating backs, huge receivers and tight ends, however they do have depth to beat accidents. Of course, additionally they don’t have a participant like Kelce.
@PoissonMason
What function will Kayshon Boutte play this 12 months. Do you see him as subsequent man up if Parker and JuJu can’t make it by means of a full season, or do you suppose they may add a veteran by way of commerce as an alternative?
I feel rookie huge receiver Kayshon Boutte will function depth this season, but it surely ought to take a few accidents for him to see constant snaps. I’d suppose they’d at the very least give him a shot within the offense earlier than buying and selling for a veteran.
But if the Patriots endure accidents at huge receiver, it might imply extra snaps for Bourne and Gesicki initially. And Douglas nonetheless looks as if he ought to be increased on the depth chart than Boutte. Smith-Schuster’s capability to play outdoors offers the Patriots flexibility to easily slide up the next-best receiving possibility relatively than forcing one other outdoors receiver like Boutte onto the sector earlier than he’s prepared.
Boutte confirmed lots of expertise this summer time, although. There’s an opportunity that the Patriots hit on two sixth-round picks at huge receiver in him and Douglas.
@W_Scanlon17
Do you suppose gonzo performs majority of the video games snaps this week to begin off his profession? #MailDoug
I do suppose Patriots first-round decide Christian Gonzalez performs nearly all of defensive snaps in his NFL debut. He was getting used as a starter all summer time, and the Patriots are shallow at cornerback with Jack Jones banged up with a hamstring harm.
Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones are the Patriots’ high cornerbacks. Myles Bryant and Marcus Jones are subsequent up on the depth chart. Then the Patriots even have Shaun Wade and rookie Ameer Speed.
It won’t at all times be fairly for Gonzalez — particularly in Week 1 in opposition to Eagles receivers A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith — however he ought to be an instantaneous starter who solely will get higher because the season progresses.
@BostonTitleGuy
If the Pats are 2-6 mid 12 months, and the offense is having bother scoring factors, will BB be underneath strain to swap out Matt Corall for Mac? Or is Mac the man until he utterly collapses?
I feel it’s too early to actually discuss Matt Corral in any respect. He was waived after his rookie season, and he’s been on the roster for just a bit over every week. There’s a greater likelihood that he’s not on the group in two weeks than there’s that he’ll begin at any level this season. That’s the fact of being a participant claimed off waivers and never indicative of Corral’s expertise or the Patriots’ quarterback scenario.
The Patriots have to know precisely what they’ve in Mac Jones, as a result of they need to determine whether or not or to not decide up his fifth-year possibility after the season. So, it might be sensible to present him as lengthy of a rope as potential this season.
@art_shapiro
How stunned have been you that Bailey Zappe went unclaimed? #maildoug
Only barely. Bailey Zappe was considerably of a stunning fourth-round decide, although. It’s not the best signal of the Patriots’ expertise analysis that they drafted a participant — particularly a quarterback — within the fourth spherical and he went unclaimed a 12 months later, nevertheless.
@CollarChip
Who’s the offensive lineman that breaks out this season
The reply is hopefully left guard Cole Strange. But it’s somewhat bit regarding that he missed almost all of coaching camp when he ought to have been taking his second-year leap.
Source: www.bostonherald.com