Patriots 'need more' from rookie receiver Ja'Lynn Polk after struggles in loss to Jaguars
LONDON, England – The last two weeks have been hard for Ja'Lynn Polk on the football field. The rookie receiver has struggled, and a recurring problem has emerged. Polk has dropped many passes that were deemed 'catchable,' and that continued in the New England Patriots' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in London. So […]
LONDON, England – The last two weeks have been hard for Ja'Lynn Polk on the football field.
The rookie receiver has struggled, and a recurring problem has emerged.
Polk has dropped many passes that were deemed 'catchable,' and that continued in the New England Patriots' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in London.
So head coach Jerod Mayo kept it real regarding the rookie after the game.
“We need more from Polk,” Mayo said. “We need more concentration. He’ll be a good player in this league, but he’s got to continue to work at it.”
Polk was targeted four times, but didn't come away with the ball once. On the fourth attempt, Drake Maye tried to hit him in the end zone on a two-point conversion attempt. While it looked like Polk had his defender beat, he slipped on the field and fell as Maye threw the ball. It resulted in an incomplete pass and left the Patriots down by two scores.
But despite the challenges, his teammates still have the upmost faith in him.
“I think JP is a great player,” Maye told reporters after the game. “He’s making plays. It’s a little slick out there. Sometimes the ball is on the paint and there’s paint all over the ball. So I think it’s just the field a little bit. But other than that, I’ve gotta find ways to get him the football early. I’ve gotta get him in the game early. I think that’ll help him feel involved. I’ve gotta make a better throw to him on the corner route on the first drive. Little things like that to get him involved because he’s a good player for us and we need him out there. So it’s on me to get him going.
"He’s always asking me to watch film… throwing after practice, he’s always there. Maybe we got to do more. Whatever we’re doing is not— do more.”
Kendrick Bourne further added how he can help the young receiver through this challenging time.
“Just tell him to keep playing,” Bourne said. “It’s tough. It’s supposed to be tough. Adversity is hitting him in the face right now and he has to respond. Just tell him to keep going – that’s the best thing you can do as a teammate.”
But that's not all.
Another layer was added to this controversy after the game when Polk posted on his Instagram story. It was simply a black screen where he wrote, "…✌🏾."
He took the post down shortly after.
While nobody knows exactly what he meant by this, it puts an even bigger spotlight on Polk.
