The New England Patriots have serious wide receiver problems right now, at least in terms of health. A.J. Brown and Mack Hollins are out with injuries, and that has put their depth to the test after they traded Kayshon Boutte.
With Romeo Doubs likely handling the bulk of the work and DeMario Douglas as the other proven veteran, the game against the Las Vegas Raiders gave Efton Chism II and Kyle Williams a big chance to make a name for themselves.
That's why, even though he's fallen behind Chism in snap count, Williams should've done enough in Week 5 to prove he deserves more opportunities going forward. He might be the team's best big-play threat right now.
The Patriots should use Kyle Williams as a vertical threat
Williams needed only three receptions to drop a team-high 91 yards and score a touchdown. His 34-yard score made him the fourth Patriots player to have each of his first four touchdown grabs in the pros go for at least 30+ yards, according to the team's P.R. department.
Chism didn't have a bad game himself, though, hauling in five catches on six targets for 57 yards. So this isn't a matter of choosing one or the other, but one of those rare 'yes, and' situations where offensive coordinators have a real problem on their hands.
Williams entered the league with plenty of hype, though he saw little action as a rookie. Overall, he finished his first campaign with 10 receptions on 21 targets for 209 yards, but the numbers tell a bigger story.
For starters, he averaged a whopping 20.9 yards per catch, just shy of Alec Pierce's league-leading average. Moreover, he was the ultimate chain-mover: all his receptions went for either a first down (7) or a touchdown (3).
Chism has also made the most of his extended opportunities, proving he's more than just the acrobatic grab that beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. So, maybe Hollins should be the odd man out once everyone is back to full strength.
Whatever the case, this is the best problem any team can aspire to have. Williams has proven to be a one-play drive waiting to happen, Chism is living up to his pre-season hype from last season, and A.J. Brown isn't even back yet.
Maybe Mike Vrabel was right when he said the team had more depth at wide receiver than the fans thought.
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