Chris Hogan is doing a great job finishing runs for the Patriots
New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan is differentiating himself by the way he finishes plays.
Instead of going out of bounds at the end of a play, New England Patriots offseason addition Chris Hogan has demonstrated a tendency to finish runs by lowering his shoulder and barrelling into the defensive back in front of him. As Patriots fans, we have to like that kind of commitment and determination out of a first-year Patriot.
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On several occasions on Sunday, Hogan could be seen making a clear decision not to just duck out of bounds like the typical NFL wideout. Clearly, Hogan wants to make the best impression possible with the coaching staff, and he’s doing a great job of it.
In addition to finishing runs in an impressive manner, Hogan is carving out a role for himself in the Patriots’ offense as the outside possession receiver. Through two games, Hogan has caught seven asses for 119 yards. He snagged three balls for 60 yards and a score in the opener, and then on Sunday he nabbed another four passes for 59 yards.
In other words, Hogan is already proving to be a consistent receiving threat for the Patriots.
At 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, Hogan is also the largest wideout on the Patriots’ roster, another point of differentiation for the former Buffalo Bills pass catcher. It’s good to see Hogan utilizing that size at the end of plays when he steamrolls into defensive backs.
There are a bunch of moving parts in the New England offense right now, from the shaky quarterback situation to the absence of Rob Gronkowski at tight end, but Hogan is showing that he can be relied upon to produce on a weekly basis. He’s not going to be a top-tier fantasy football player anytime soon, but Hogan is on pace for a stat line of 56 catches for 952 yards and eight touchdowns. That wouldn’t be too shabby.
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That Hogan’s first catch as a Patriot was a 34-yard touchdown in Week 1 was a good omen, and hopefully a sign of things to come. The 27-year-old has a ton of potential in New England.