Patriots-Chargers Preview: Ja’Lynn Polk heading in the wrong direction? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
FOXBORO – What are the issues? The Patriots have very little to play for as far as the standings go. On the contrary, there should be a certain level of effort to at least matching last year’s atrocious record of four wins.
However, the issues exist. They exist for a coaching staff with some coordinators whose seats should be warm as the offseason approaches. They exist for a roster filled with players whose whereabouts in 2025 are uncertain, who need to put out as much competent tape as possible in hopes of earning a job for next season.
And they exist for Patriots decision-makers, who need to use the football left to get a real sense of what they have in their young players as they look to build their team for the future.
Layden Robinson has acquitted himself relatively well in the last two games allowing only one pressure. He is one of eight guards in the NFL with at least 75 total snaps in Weeks 16 and 17 to have allowed fewer than two pressures during that span. Maybe he’s on track to take over the role of the team’s starting left guard next season.
Cole Strange is expected to start at center in Week 17, giving him a chance to show what he can do after missing most of the season following a knee injury that ended prematurely his 2023 campaign.
On the receiving end, the outlook is less positive. My understanding is that Ja’Lynn Polk was considered a healthy scratch by the Patriots before the Bills game, and he ended up playing just three snaps in that game. Javon Baker appears to have passed Polk on the depth chart, but not significantly, playing eight snaps in Buffalo.
On Polk in particular, one could assume that the team was hoping, after its Week 14 bye, that its second-round pick would be able to settle in and make an effort to salvage the end of his first year as a pro. Instead, it seems to be going in the wrong direction. And New England’s opponent Sunday is just another reminder of what could have been if the team had approached the second round differently in the spring.
Sitting at No. 34 overall, the Patriots saw Florida State player Keon Coleman go to the Bills at No. 33. Then, bypassing the opportunity to draft Georgia player Ladd McConkey, Eliot Wolf opted for the No. 37 pick, sending down a fifth. second-round pick and receiving a fourth-rounder from the Chargers in the process.
The Chargers grabbed McConkey and reaped the rewardsas he accumulated 69 catches for 960 yards and five touchdowns. In 14 games, Polk made 12 catches for 87 yards and two scores. Baker, who the Patriots selected with the fourth round acquired in the deal, did not receive a reception.
The evaluation continues on Sunday. Here are the matches to watch in the game…
A match that will determine the outcome
Drake Maye vs. Derwin James
The Chargers have a fast defense led by their Swiss army knife safety Derwin James. If the Patriots want to continue attacking through the air with their short passing game, they might have trouble finding room to operate on Sunday.
According to Next Gen Stats, Drake Maye is one of the best short passers in football. On passes that travel less than 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, he has the sixth-best yards per attempt (6.6) and the sixth-best completion rate (56.1 percent). However, the Chargers are only allowing 5.4 yards per attempt on these types of throws, which is third best among NFL defenses this season.
If New England can’t move the chains with shorter throws because James and Co. are stifling them, this could be over quickly. Unless…
A match that will surprise you
Chargers defense against Alex Van Pelt
… The Chargers continue to play like they have the last two weeks on the defensive side of the ball. The Buccaneers scored 40 points against them two weeks ago. Last week, Jim Harbaugh’s club struggled at times to keep Bo Nix and the Broncos under control.
The numbers put forward for these two matches are not favorable to Los Angeles. They are 28th in EPA per play allowed and 29th in EPA per dropback allowed.
If this continues at Gillette Stadium, perhaps offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt can set up a few plays for Maye to extend his touchdown passing streak to eight games – the longest streak for a rookie since Justin Herbert threw touchdowns in 10 consecutive games in 2020. .
A match that will take years off your life
Justin Herbert against the Patriots pass rushers
Keion White made headlines this weekend when he seemed to express some displeasure with what he was asked to do as an outside linebacker. He was asked to be safe. His assist numbers – and those of the entire team – have declined. Apparently, this caused some discontent for the second-year defender.
If he can’t get after the quarterback this week, it could be a long day for his team, as Herbert is dynamite when not under pressure. He’s seventh in the league in yards per attempt when not pressured (8.3), eighth in scoring (110.5) and he hasn’t thrown a pick when kept clean.
Unfortunately for the Patriots, they see a lot of passing reps from opposing quarterbacks that are under no pressure. They are fourth in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (29.7%).
