Patriots rookie Ja'Lynn Polk confirms what we already knew about Week 4

Through the first four games of the Patriots 2024 season, the offense has not been able to incorporate the passing game as much as they should, especially given how easily opponents can game plan against them. Utilizing the run game when you have a backfield made up of players like Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson is great, but the Patriots have some talented pass catchers that could boost the offense's success to new heights.

That has been a talking point for the past month, with most of the conversation surrounding the lack of touches DeMario Douglas has seen to start the year. He was the best receiver on the team in 2023, despite being a rookie, and was expected to have a big second year, even more so with Kendrick Bourne sidelined with an ACL injury.

Unfortunately, Douglas continues to spend more time either on the bench or being overlooked, which has also been the case for rookie Ja'Lynn Polk.

Despite being one of the best separators in the league so far, Jacoby Brissett has found it difficult to throw Polk's way, whether it be due to the offensive line's inconsistency or looking at another target instead. It's not the start to his NFL career that fans were hoping for, and his performance against the 49ers proved he should be more involved.

Polk's stat sheet isn't overly impressive, as he recorded just three receptions for 30 yards. However, his impressive "non-catch" on a fourth-and-4 play has become the latest controversial ruling this season. So much so that it's become a debate online, which Polk has led the charge of by claiming it was, in fact, a catch.

Ja'Lynn Polk's impressive effort stirs debate about what a catch is in the NFL (again)

The deep pass by Brissett to Polk was an impressive showing by the otherwise seemingly hesitant quarterback and would have been good for 50+ yards had it counted. It would have put the Patriots in a position to close the gap on the 49ers, allowing them, at the very least, to add another field goal to the scoreboard.

Instead, it was a turnover on downs even after the Patriots challenged the ruling, which would have been tough to overturn since officials called it an incomplete pass on the field.

Regardless, fans and Polk alike fully believe it was a completed catch, and the wide receiver reiterated that point to reporters after the game.

“It was a catch, to me. That’s what I think. But shoot, it is what it is. I feel like, in my opinion, I think that it’s a catch.”

It was a disappointing scene, given how incredible the catch was, but the silver lining is how good Polk will eventually be for the Patriots when things start to click on offense, whether that be this year or next. He wasn't expected to flash as much as he has, even if many instances didn't result in a reception, but he's proving to be exactly the type of player the team needs moving forward.

The future is bright, and hopefully, this won't be the last time we see Polk nearly catch a deep pass like this.

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