Ranking the top Free Agent and Rookie additions at the Half Way Point
By Andrew Meyer
2. Chris Hogan
When thinking of Patriots receivers you often think small, white, and good at short crossing routes. At a glance Hogan does appear to fit that mold, but when looking deeper into his game his true abilities emerge. So far this season Hogan has done his damage not only on intermediate routes but vertically as well. This is best shown against his former team where he hooked up with Brady for a 53 yard touchdown.
Brady. Hogan. 53 yards. PERFECT. #Patriots #NEvsBUF https://t.co/nFbVAYqbOP
— NFL (@NFL) October 30, 2016
On this play Hogan gets a clean release thanks to some nifty handwork and uses his speed to get past the defender. The two steps he had on the defender gave Tom Brady a perfect window to drop the ball into. Specifically to Hogan, Brady is 3 for 3 for 159 yards and a touchdown when targeting him deep. Could this be Brady to Moss reincarnated? Only time will tell.
Tom Brady was 4 of 4 for 123 yards on deep passes yesterday. He averaged 20.25 yards in the air per deep pass. Brady's deep ball is back.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 17, 2016
Looking ahead expect Hogan and Brady’s chemistry to improve even if they lose their perfect streak. With only 4 games together so far, the pair now have 8 more games dial it in for the playoffs. Hogan’s stats should only improve as the season goes on, as he gets more opportunities.