Almost an entire month had to pass between the 10th and 11th reception of Ja\u2019Lynn Polk\u2019s rookie season. When he did get his hands on another ball, however, he was sure to make it count.<\/p>\n
In the second quarter of the New England Patriots\u2019 19-3 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Polk caught what would be the game\u2019s lone touchdown. As part of a play-action concept in the deep red zone, the young wideout sold a block before peeling off and into the flat where fellow rookie Drake Maye found him wide open for the 2-yard score.<\/p>\n
The reaction to the play had a collective nature, with Polk getting swarmed by his teammates after hauling in the pass. For him, the play and its aftermath were a direct result of the Patriots\u2019 confident in his abilities and role within the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat just shows the belief guys have in me,\u201d Polk said after the game. \u201cI really appreciate the boys having the trust in me to go out there, executing whatever play it is. Kudos to them having my back throughout the whole game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Polk\u2019s support system expressed a similar sentiment after the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe never doubted him in the locker room, and I think that\u2019s important,\u201d said head coach Jerod Mayo. \u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of outside noise, and he\u2019s had to deal with the outside noise. But when it\u2019s all said and done, if you go out and do it on the field, there\u2019s not much people can say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was pretty cool. First-round pick, a second-round pick,\u201d added Drake Maye. \u201cJ.P. is finding it. I think I may have had him some other times in the game. He\u2019s going to be a great player. Hoping that touchdown gives him some confidence, and he\u2019s going to make a lot of plays for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 36th overall selection in this year\u2019s draft, Polk appeared on his way to become an instant impact player in new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt\u2019s offense. Regularly running with the starters in training camp, the Washington product displayed strong hands and seemingly earned the trust of quarterbacks Maye and Jacoby Brissett.<\/p>\n
At the start of the regular season, little changed. While his production was limited as part of a Brissett-led passing attack that left plenty to be desired, he steadily increased his workload and at one point became New England\u2019s No. 1 receiver and top perimeter target.<\/p>\n
However, at some point Polk began hitting the dreaded rookie wall: between Weeks 4 and 6, he managed to haul in just 5 of 16 targets for 47 total yards. By the Patriots\u2019 Week 7 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London \u2014 a contest he eventually left with a concussion \u2014 he had lost his starting job and was held without a catch for the first time in his career.<\/p>\n
Even after his Week 9 return, his impact was limited. Against the Tennessee Titans, he finished with more penalties than targets while playing a career-low nine snaps.<\/p>\n
Polk also did not light up the scoreboard against the Bears on Sunday; his 2-yard touchdown was his lone catch of the day. However, his increased usage was a positive development after what was a challenging few weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust focus on my preparation,\u201d he pointed out. \u201cThe guys depended on me to go out there and make a play. So, just going out there and executing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was great,\u201d said Jerod Mayo. \u201cWith young players, you never know where that inflection point is going to come. You never know when that switch is going to flip. Hopefully, this is the start of him being a very good receiver in this league.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
He may have only caught one pass against the Bears, but it was a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7497,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n