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3 offensive MVPs for the Patriots after first quarter of season

By Patrick Morgan

ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 29: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots hands the ball off to James White #28 of the New England Patriots during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on September 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 29: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots hands the ball off to James White #28 of the New England Patriots during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on September 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MA – SEPTEMBER 22: Phillip Dorsett #13 of the New England Patriots carries the ball during the third quarter of a game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA – SEPTEMBER 22: Phillip Dorsett #13 of the New England Patriots carries the ball during the third quarter of a game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images) /

2. Phillip Dorsett

Arguably the biggest surprise of this young New England season – outside of the ridiculously sublime defense, of course – has been the emergence of fifth-year wideout Phillip Dorsett.

A former first-round pick out of Miami, Dorsett quickly earned bust status with the team that drafted him, the Indianapolis Colts. It wasn’t exactly an unfair label either, as Dorsett caught just over half his passes from quarterback Andrew Luck in his two seasons with Indy and only found the end zone three times total during that span.

Traded to New England at the beginning of the 2017 season for backup QB Jacoby Brissett, Dorsett didn’t exactly catch on quick with the Patriots. He was the team’s eighth-leading receiver in his first year with New England, buried on a pass-catching depth chart that included bigger names like Rob Gronkowski, Brandin Cooks, Danny Amendola, and Chris Hogan (this was the year Julian Edelman missed with a torn ACL).

In his second year with the Pats, Dorsett climbed up those statistical rankings ever so slightly, finishing the year as the team’s sixth-leading receiver. On the bright side, his target share more than doubled in 2018, he upped his total receiving contributions by about 100 yards, and he actually scored three touchdowns – as many as he had in his first three NFL seasons combined.

But 2019 has been his breakout season thus far, no question. Through just four games, Dorsett has already matched his touchdown total from 2018 and exceeded his receiving yardage total from 2017. If he keeps up his current pace, he will set new career highs for himself in every relevant category – he’s projected to catch 60 balls for 788 yards and 12 scores.

While it might be a bit ambitious to think he’ll hit those numbers – particularly double-digit touchdowns – the fact remains that Dorsett is making the most of his increased opportunity now that both Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown are no longer in the picture. Assuming he stays healthy, he should finish the year as the Patriots’ unquestioned No. 3 receiving option behind Julian Edelman and Josh Gordon.

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