A highlight of the Patriots' 2024 offseason was their determination to improve the offense knowing they were going to be adding a (hopeful) franchise quarterback through the draft. They did that by re-signing Kendrick Bourne, adding K.J. Osborn in free agency, and double-dipping at receiver in the second and fourth rounds.
Although they missed out on some of the top prospects from the first round, they snagged an intriguing player in Washington's Ja'Lynn Polk. He had an impressive career working with Michael Penix Jr., and many analysts felt Polk would be a sneaky addition to the Patriots roster, but we've yet to see that this year from the rookie.
Besides making headlines for his social media activity, Polk has also seen a lot of scrutiny for his on-field performance, mainly due to labeling himself as having the best hands in the league, only to constantly not catch the football when targeted. That has created a hyper-focus on what he's doing on game day, which hasn't been too great thus far and has resulted in some suggesting he's the latest Patriots' bust.
It doesn't help when his most significant contribution in a game, like in Week 11 vs. the Rams, was a false start that ended a promising drive, which Jerod Mayo wasn't too pleased about.
Ja'Lynn Polk's struggles continue to dominate his rookie season with the Patriots
While speaking to reporters on Monday morning, Mayo was asked about the failed fourth-quarter drive due to Polk's false start. He seemed to blame the rookie receiver for the series ending outside the end zone, which is not a great look for Polk moving forward.
On Ja'Lynn Polk's 4th quarter false start, Jerod Mayo says the play was "100 percent going to be a touchdown" in his mind. pic.twitter.com/PEmwBYCBz5
— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) November 18, 2024
While it was a massive mistake and hurt the offensive production, it's difficult not to question Mayo's assertion that the drive would have ended in a touchdown, more so the slight finger-pointing at Polk.
It's certainly possible Drake Maye would have led the offense to another score, but the Patriots have not been able to play from behind this year, and penalties have become a common theme that they have been unable to avoid to their own detriment. Polk's false start isn't the first time, nor will it be the last, that the offense has been stalled due to a penalty.
Even if it's fair to blame Polk, it might not be the best idea for the head coach to put that out there to the public when issues with receivers have been a negative part of the season.