Tag: Jakobi Meyers

How Cam Newton fits with youthful Patriots offense

Cam Newton fits the New England Patriots nicely as they get younger at the wideout position.

When healthy, new Patriots quarterback Cam Newton gives New England an explosive signal-caller under center. Newton’s mobility and ability to make key throws on the run are just some of the assets he brings to the table. It’s for these reasons that he fits in the Patriots offense.

When you look at a receiver like N’Keal Harry, Harry is a physical receiver who is a deep-ball threat and who can spread the field. Like he showed at Arizona State, the wide receiver thrives on making the big play. Throughout his career, Newton has displayed his arm strength. It was one of the reasons that he was considered such a dangerous quarterback coming out of college, and why he was so highly regarded prior to his injuries.

The combination of Harry’s ability to get down the field, as well as Newton’s ability to throw on the run makes him an ideal fit with this addition of the New England Patriots.

There is no doubt that Tom Brady was great at many things. However, making throws out of the pocket, the ability to throw the ball deep down the field, and making throws on the run were not his strong suits. Particularly in Brady’s final seasons with New England, he struggled to get the ball down the field.

With wideouts like Julian Edelman, Harry, Jakobi Meyers, and Mohamed Sanu, New England has several wide receivers that can make things happen down the field and after the catch.

Edelman in particular is very good at this. He led all Patriots receivers with 320 yards after the catch in 2019.

In a Tom Brady-led offense, receivers could count on his ball placement and his ability to make the tough throws. They could not consistently count on Brady to be able to keep plays alive and scramble out of the pocket while maintaining touch. In a Newton-led offense, he affords these wideouts a chance to get deep down the field and make  big plays happen at the start of their routes, rather than relying on yards after the catch.

A  healthy Cam Newton accentuates the strengths of these wide receivers, and moving forward, that will fit the Patriots offense. Newton affords this particular group of wideouts the ability to play to their strengths, rather than having to make adjustments to the quarterback.

This  line of thinking particularly applies to Meyers and Harry.  Worrying about how to get open and making the most of their opportunities, instead of whether the quarterback will be able to trust them and get them the ball, should be a welcome change of pace.

Aside from just Meyers and Harry, it will be interesting to see how the wideouts adjust to a new style of quarterback in 2020.

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5 burning questions for the Patriots after the Cam Newton signing

The Patriots have several key questions heading into the 2020 season.

Heading into the 2020 season, the New England Patriots are entering the campaign with a different feel in more ways than one. Offensively, the organization will have an entirely new look, likely with Cam Newton at the helm. Defensively, things will remain the same. All in all, there are still questions to be had about both sides of the ball.

With the Patriots facing a difficult schedule next season, they will certainly be challenged in all aspects. With the AFC East getting stronger, this could be the first year in quite some time that they will face stiff competition. It should make for an interesting season as everybody will have to adapt to the changing landscape of the organization.

I take a look at five burning questions for the Patriots in 2020.

Will Cam Newton be able to shake off his rust?

With the Patriots bringing in Newton, there is a question as to whether he will be able to shake off his rust from not playing in quite some time.

The last game that Newton played in was against Tampa Bay in Week 2 of the 2019 season. In that contest, he went 25-of-51 on the afternoon, throwing for 333 yards on the day. After that, the Panthers shut down for the season.

The Patriots have seen firsthand what type of quarterback Newton can be when he is healthy. He’s 2-0 against Bill Belichick while completing 72% of his passes for 525 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 106 more yards and a touchdown in those two games.

However, he has now had foot and shoulder problems since the last time the Patriots faced the Panthers. Newton certainly has a plethora of injuries in addition to his rust from not playing since last September. Will he be able to shake it off? That’s perhaps the biggest question on this list, especially if New England wants to beat out Jarrett Stidham in a quarterback competition.

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Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers reveals goals for his second season

The wideout wants to make a name for himself.

At this time last year, New England Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers was virtually unknown. He was coming into his rookie season as one of the guys on the bottom of the depth chart after going undrafted out of NC State.

Following a strong preseason performance, however, he was able to fight his way onto the 53-man roster and saw 36% of the offensive snaps in the regular season. While that might be considered an impressive start to his career, Meyers has bigger aspirations for his future in New England.

Meyers spoke with Paul Perillo of Patriots.com to discuss exactly what he wants to accomplish in the next year.

“Mentally, I want to be levels ahead of where I was last year,” Meyers told Perillo. “Understanding not only what we’re doing but also why we’re doing it. Earning trust to make the right play. I want to build on last year. It was a nice stepping stone, but I want to keep building and growing.”

With the lack of talent in the Patriots’ wide receiver room, Meyers still has an opportunity to make the roster again. However, that is far from a certainty, and he understands that.

“I feel like I will be a lot further ahead,” Meyers said. “I didn’t know if I’d even make the team or what role I might have or where I’d be playing. I still have chip on my shoulder, like will I even be here? I’m staying ready for my name to be called. I need to make sure I give them a reason to keep me around.”

Meyers has a great opportunity ahead of him. With the rapport that he built with Stidham last preseason, he may be able to slide right in and contribute. It’s tough to say there’s a positive of Tom Brady no longer being in New England, but for guys like Meyers, there just might be.

It was well-known that Brady seldom threw to receivers he didn’t trust. With Meyers seeing limited reps with Brady, it was hard for a trust to be built. Stidham may be more willing to take chances and trust more receivers. This could provide increased targets to a guy like Meyers.

If the former North Carolina State wide receiver does make the team, he has a chance to become a solid contributor to the Patriots’ offense in 2020.

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11 Patriots veterans who will be on the roster bubble in 2020

There will be no shortage of roster battles in New England.

The New England Patriots added 10 rookies in the 2020 NFL Draft, and signed a handful more afterwards, which should inject youth into one of the league’s older rosters in 2019. Tom Brady is gone. Stephen Gostkowski is gone. And New England seems intent upon replacing them with younger players.

The youth movement could continue into training camp, with a number of veterans losing their jobs to this rookie class. What’s more, there is a decent free agent class of low-budget additions who should be in competition for roster spots — but they may also be on the bubble.

Here’s a look at which veterans will be fighting for their jobs.

Matt LaCosse, TE

The arrival of two rookies could bring an end to LaCosse’s tenure with New England. It’s likely that rookie tight end Devin Asiasi arrives to the Patriots as a bigger contributor than LaCosse, who struggled to make an impact in 2019. LaCosse has as good a chance as anyone to get the third tight end spot behind Asiasi and Dalton Keene, the other 2020 third-round draft choice at tight end. But after LaCosse’s supremely rough season, New England could go the way of one of the undrafted rookie tight ends for the third spot.

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Rookie WRs N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers step up when Patriots needed them most

The Patriots beat the Cowboys with only four active wide receivers in Week 12 — one of which was Matthew Slater.

The New England Patriots walked away with a hard-fought win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12.

The low-scoring 13-9 battle reflected the rainy conditions and the lack of offensive firepower for both teams. New England found out before the game that they would be without Phillip Dorsett and Mohamed Sanu — leaving them with four active wide receivers. Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers and Matthew Slater were the only targets that Tom Brady had at the wide receiver position.

Edelman is the only receiver out of this group to record more than 15 NFL catches. He finished the game with eight catches and 93 yards on 12 targets.

Rookie wide receivers Harry and Meyers were expected to step up, and that’s exactly what they did. They didn’t put up game-changing numbers, but they both provided just enough to help walk away with a victory.

Harry recorded the only touchdown of the game on a back-shoulder acrobatic catch in the redzone. The ten-yard touchdown reception was the first of his career and it put enough points on the board to slide past Dallas.

Meyers finished the game with four catches for 74 yards and he took numerous big hits without having to leave the field. Meyers’ longest catch was for 32 yards and it was mostly due to breaking tackles and gaining yards after the catch.

Brady talked about the young receivers in his postgame press conference and had nothing but good things to say.

“They played a lot of plays. Proud of those two,” Brady said. “They put a lot of effort in this week. They’re making improvements and it’s great to see. They both came through with some big plays for us.”

The Patriots added left tackle Isaiah Wynn to the mix against Dallas and had some positives to take away from the game. With a healthy receiving corps and an upgraded offensive line, the Patriots’ offense should begin to ascend with playoffs around the corner.

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5 takeaways from Patriots’ hard-fought victory over Cowboys

Here are five takeaways from the Patriots — win over the Cowboys.

The New England Patriots improve to 10-1 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 13-9 in a bad weather, sloppy game.

Offensively, the Patriots did just enough to squeak by with Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett missing from the lineup. Defensively, this unit showed up once again and slowed down the NFL’s most productive offense. The Patriots had an up-and-down performance from the special teams unit — but, Matthew Slater’s blocked punt changed the momentum of the game.

New England’s offensive line showed improvement with the addition of Isaiah Wynn and they’ll look better when the receiving corps regains their health. The Patriots aren’t the orthodox 10-1 team, but the defensive talent and coaching is keeping this team afloat.

Here are five takeaways from the game.

Young receivers make necessary plays for a victory

Without Sanu and Dorsett in the lineup, the Patriots had a dire need for their young receivers to step up and make plays.

The only active receivers heading into the game were Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers and Matthew Slater. Considering the fact that Slater doesn’t play offensive snaps, Tom Brady had very few offensive options to work with. Fortunately for New England, the young guys stepped up and made enough plays for a win.

Harry kicked off the day with a ten-yard back-shoulder touchdown catch — which was the only touchdown of the day. He recorded his first NFL touchdown and showed the ability to highpoint the ball and make impactful plays in the redzone. Meyers, an undrafted rookie, was able to pull in four catches for 72 yards. Brady’s trust was primarily in Meyers and Edelman, and both receivers accounted for 21 targets.

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With injuries at WR, Patriots will rely on rookies N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers

The Patriots will head into Week 12 with a depleted wide receiving corps. 

The New England Patriots will head into Week 12 with a depleted wide receiving corps.

New England has struggled with depth at wide receiver all season, but the addition of Mohamed Sanu shored up some uncertainties. That was until he sustained an ankle injury in Week 11 that could potentially keep him sidelined for a couple of weeks. He’s heading into the Patriots’ Week 12 matchup as a game-time decision, and veteran wideout Phillip Dorsett was ruled out.

This leaves the Patriots with Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers and Matthew Slater. Considering the fact that Slater will primarily play special teams – the Patriots will only have three active wide receivers if Sanu can’t go. Edelman is the only player in this unit with over 200 receiving yards this season, and he’s the only one to truly have Tom Brady’s trust.

As an undrafted rookie, Meyers has put together 15 catches for 179 yards so far this season. He hasn’t played a major role in the offense, but he’s showed reliability when his number has been called. At 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, Meyers provides a big and reliable target for Brady, but experience isn’t on his side heading into this marquee matchup.

Harry is finally healthy and ready to make an impact for the Patriots, but he doesn’t have enough talent around to free him up. He’ll get more attention from the Cowboys’ secondary, and it’ll be a test to see if his first-round talent can translate to a big game. In Harry’s NFL debut last week, he was able to pull in three catches for 18 yards.

Not only will the Patriots battle a lack of depth, they’ll also contend against the weather conditions. The game will be sloppy and full of rain, so it’ll be that much more difficult for these young receivers.

The Patriots will likely rely on the rushing attack in these conditions, while hoping for some big plays from their young guys.

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