Almost an entire month had to pass between the 10th and 11th reception of Ja’Lynn Polk’s rookie season. When he did get his hands on another ball, however, he was sure to make it count.
In the second quarter of the New England Patriots’ 19-3 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Polk caught what would be the game’s 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.
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’ confident in his abilities and role within the team.
“That just shows the belief guys have in me,” Polk said after the game. “I 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.”
Polk’s support system expressed a similar sentiment after the game.
“We never doubted him in the locker room, and I think that’s important,” said head coach Jerod Mayo. “There’s been a lot of outside noise, and he’s had to deal with the outside noise. But when it’s all said and done, if you go out and do it on the field, there’s not much people can say.”
“That was pretty cool. First-round pick, a second-round pick,” added Drake Maye. “J.P. is finding it. I think I may have had him some other times in the game. He’s going to be a great player. Hoping that touchdown gives him some confidence, and he’s going to make a lot of plays for us.”
The 36th overall selection in this year’s draft, Polk appeared on his way to become an instant impact player in new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s 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.
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’s No. 1 receiver and top perimeter target.
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’ Week 7 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London — a contest he eventually left with a concussion — he had lost his starting job and was held without a catch for the first time in his career.
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.
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.
“Just focus on my preparation,” he pointed out. “The guys depended on me to go out there and make a play. So, just going out there and executing.”
“It was great,” said Jerod Mayo. “With 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.”
