The New England Patriots absolutely dominated the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, and that was without Christian Gonzalez, A.J. Brown, Christian Barmore, Mike Onwenu, Carlton Davis, or Mack Hollins. That list of injured players alone is absolutely mind-boggling, and then realizing the Patriots put up a 45-17 victory without them is even crazier.
Unfortunately, Will Campbell went down on Sunday with a knee sprain. On the bright side, rookie Caleb Lomu stepped in and didn’t miss a beat. With that being said, let’s dive into how this Patriots offense could go absolutely nuclear when Brown returns, why Lomu looks like a massive hit in the Draft, and how the momentum of this win can set up the Patriots for the rest of the season.
Adding A.J. Brown to the Patriots' offense should terrify the NFL
Drake Maye just balled out against the Raiders, without two of his receivers and missing multiple offensive linemen (374 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, 25 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown). He looked like a true MVP candidate, so fans are getting incredibly excited for the return of Brown.
If Maye is playing this well already, adding in one of the league’s best alpha receivers is going to turn this offense into something the rest of the NFL is going to lose sleep over. Maye is already picking apart opposing defenses, so adding Brown into the scheme, where he can dominate one-on-one matchups, create big plays after the catch, and be a serious threat in the red zone, is exactly what the doctor ordered for Patriots fans everywhere.
I am incredibly excited to see how offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels incorporates Brown into his scheme, and how Maye’s chemistry looks with him. Overall, my prediction is that the three-time All-Pro receiver will turn this offense nuclear and catapult Maye even higher in the MVP conversations.
Caleb Lomu looks like the real deal for the Patriots
Lomu stepped into left tackle after Campbell went down with an injury, and looked outstanding, especially for a rookie. He held up in pass protection and showed off his athleticism and speed while doing so. Lomu being thrown into a game as a rookie left tackle and showing he belonged was awesome to witness.
It looks like the Patriots have one of the steals of the draft, since they got him with the 28th overall pick. When Campbell is fully healthy and resumes his duties at left tackle, the Patriots could bump Lomu to right tackle, and Maye will have his bookend protectors for the next decade.
Being able to land quality offensive tackles in the NFL is a very difficult task, and so far, it seems as though the Patriots have done it in back-to-back drafts.
How will the Patriots offense look moving forward?
The Patriots obviously had some guys shine on Sunday. Pop Douglas and Kyle Williams were extremely explosive and gave the offense the juice it has been lacking recently. Eli Raridon and Hunter Henry had some big catches, Maye played like the league MVP, and the offensive line gave him as much time as he could possibly want in the pocket.
When they finally add Brown to this crew, they are going to have one of the most complete units in the league. Not to mention, if Romeo Doubs gets going, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with. I believe McDaniels is going to seriously open this playbook up for the rest of the season and let his young quarterback sling it all over the yard.
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