The tight ends (Hunter and now even Hooper) seem to be the most reliable of receivers. Do you think their utilization has seemingly increased due to the scheme AVP likes to run or perhaps simply because they have turned out to be more dependable and successful than the WR core? @clazzyclare

Good call, Clare. Henry is playing 83 percent of the offensive snaps, his highest rate as a Patriot. I do think that is part of AVP's scheme but let's face it, Henry has been the team's most valuable offensive player this season and is just four catches away from tying his 50-catch season with the Pats in 2021. He's also just 15 catches away from breaking his career high of 60 catches that came with the Chargers in 2020. One area where it would be great to see more production would be Henry's touchdown catches. He had six last year but just one through 11 games this year. That's a good example of how the Pats red zone offense needs to be better and Henry can play a part in it. Hooper is right about where he's been the last two years of his career with the Titans and Raiders, playing about half the snaps. With seven catches in the last two games, he's starting to come on even more, bringing him to 23 catches on the season. Henry and Hooper have been a strength for the team this year and I expect them to continue to be more productive over the final six games. Lastly, I like that we're seeing a bit of Jaheim Bell. He's one to keep an eye on. I wish he held on to that pass against the Rams. -Mike Dussault

Just one - What happened out there yesterday especially on defense?!?!?! @michaelrabb9

That's what happens when an elite play caller with a veteran quarterback and three quality weapons meets a defense that struggles to get after the passer and force turnovers. The Patriots failed to register a sack and, despite a respectable 33 percent pressure rate, they never got Stafford out of his comfort zone. Last week against the Bears, the defense looked disruptive and had airtight coverage. This week, they were on their heels and unable to play on the Rams side of the line of scrimmage. The defense has now fallen to 30^th overall in DVOA, 31^st against the pass and 28^th against the run, and 28^th in overall EPA. Hopefully, Christian Barmore can make an impact as he gets up to speed and Yannick Ngakoue can bring some pass rush off the edge. They're desperate for disruption up front. -Mike Dussault

How big of a need is CB2 after yesterday? @PattyA_23

I'd still put it behind OT, WR and EDGE but it's definitely a spot to think about next season with Jonathan Jones due to hit free agency. I'd put it in a medium priority range because I think it's one position where you can develop solid players without elite pedigree, especially when you have Gonzalez atop the depth chart. Ultimately, it's disappointing that neither Marco Wilson nor Alex Austin emerged this season. Wilson was released on Monday and now Austin has been activated off IR and will get a chance to carve out a role. As for next year, whether it's Jones or a different veteran FA who might be a bit younger, I think they'll be okay, especially if they add an elite edge player who takes some pressure off of the secondary. -Mike Dussault

Outside of Maye, which of the 2024 draft picks could be a "keeper?" @wpgsportzfan21

That's the great question we'll be asking over the final seven games. Can Layden Robinson get a look at LG over Michael Jordan? Can Caedan Wallace return from IR and push for snaps over Tre Jacobs at right tackle? Neither of those seems assured at this point. Polk and Baker continue to dress for games but barely make any positive impacts… Polk had no targets and one penalty against the Rams while Baker was removed from kickoff duties despite a 46-yard return. Both of the rookie receivers are really fighting it right now and it's hard to have confidence they'll suddenly just explode with production given how much of a grind it's been for them. Marcellas Dial and Dell Pettus have been good special teamers, while Jaheim Bell is starting to get involved on offense. Joe Milton earned praise last week for his job as the team's scout QB. So, there it is, plenty to love about Maye, but after that, there have been limited impacts on offense and defense by the rookie class. It would be a huge win if even just one more rookie could emerge with some consistent performances over the last six games. But right now the jury is out on everyone after Maye, however, I still believe Polk can be good and that Robinson and Wallace could still emerge as starters, especially Wallace at right tackle. Honestly, Polk's descent from when he was the team's most consistent receiver all through training camp to now being invisible is one of the biggest head-scratchers of my career covering the team. -Mike Dussault

Based on what you've seen, how high is Drake Maye's upside? Are you worried about him regressing in year two, excited about how good he could be with better weapons, or both? @EKodgis

Oh, I'm not worried about regression at all! Yes, I am super high on his upside and will be excited to see what the team does around him this offseason without any significant in-house free agents to worry about. It's all gravy now as far as surrounding Maye with the pieces that he most definitely needs around him to make this an elite offense. I am most impressed with how Maye seems to process the game. He continues to look more and more impressive in the pocket, making reads and getting through his progressions. I knew he had the arm and athletic talent but it's his mind for the game that is raising his ceiling higher for me. Get the guy a speed demon who can get down the field and make plays after the catch and I think you'll see Maye and the offense really take off. -Mike Dussault

Sure! Jerod Mayo said in his post-game presser, 'I have to do better. I have to demand more from my assistant coaches. I have to demand more from the players.' Great, but what does he do besides demand more? @jammer58469

He has to make sure that the problems get fixed or else they'll need to be addressed this offseason with more concrete steps. It was going to take some time for Mayo and his new staff to get their program into place. We had to know there would be speed bumps, in a game like football there are so many hard decisions both over the course of the week and over the course of any game that are easy to dissect and criticize after the fact. These final six games are a good chance to show that the whole operation is starting to find a stride. We've seen pockets of those moments, but can they put them all together for not just an entire game but over multiple games? -Mike Dussault

Do you think the development of Drake Maye will force ownership to spend real money in free agency? Will they use the same excuse of a rebuild to not spend on top-tier talent like this past year? I'm tired of waiting for the rebuild and feel they need to start actually building towards something like the Detroit Lions. -Nelson Feliciano

I don't really think they'll have a choice, Nelson. Like I mentioned above there aren't a lot of huge in-house decisions for free agency and they've got a projected league-leading amount of cap space by a significant margin. They have to spend 90 percent of the salary cap over a four-year period and they've sat on a good chunk this season. To me, that means they simply have to spend money this offseason and external free agency will have to take a big chunk of it because there's simply no one on the roster who will eat up much of it even if they re-signed all the unrestricted free agents who are playing significant roles this year like Jonathan Jones, Daniel Ekuale, Jaylinn Hawkins, Austin Hooper and Joey Slye (those five players are the whole list). So yes, I'd expect some significant free agency additions this year with receiver and edge being targets for quality contributors who will require a significant pay day. Combine that with the 10 draft picks they're already slated for and there's plenty of reason to believe this could be a huge offseason for the NEP. But as we've seen, they've got to pick the right guys, simply paying players coming off good years is no guarantee they'll continue ascending in New England. -Mike Dussault

The Pats recently signed a veteran pass rusher. Why didn't they just keep Matt Judon, combined with Uche they were a force when healthy. -John Perreault

Let's just do the math. The Pats chose a 2025 third-rounder, a 2026 sixth-rounder and Ngakoue's $1.25 million salary over paying Judon and Uche about $7 million combined. I think these were all fine tradeoffs. It looks like they got out on Judon at the right time while Uche just never emerged beyond a pass rush specialist. These are the kinds of moves teams like the Pats need to make, cash in assets for picks and reset around the new quarterback. I don't think having Judon and Uche on the team this year would've made much of a difference from what we've seen. -Mike Dussault

Thank you for providing us the fans an opportunity to share our opinions. It's good to see the chemistry building between Maye and the receiver group. Do you see a receiver available in free agency that would complement Mayes style. Like you see in both Kansas City and San Francisco. And do you expect Andrews back next season at Center or Brown growing into the position. Thank you again! -Robert Wheeler

I think Tee Higgins is the only one who makes sense since he's just about to turn 26. The rest of the free agent wide receivers are more in their mercenary eras, like 31-year old Stefon Diggs, 32-year old Keenan Allen and 30-year old Amari Cooper. There will be a ton of competition for Higgins, he's a unique piece on the market given his age and still ascending skillset. I do wonder though, with the Pats amount of cap space and need to spend if they'll just take a shot at one of those older players who still have some gas in the tank. It's not necessarily the move I would make, but it's clear that they probably need to add two impact receivers this offseason. If Andrews returns for 2025 I'd expect to carry both him and Brown, with Brown having the opportunity here at the end of the season to show if he really could be the heir apparent. -Mike Dussault

How do we feel about AVP so far? I haven't heard many comments about Maye's footwork. I think it's commendable. Lots of complaining about play calling, but the playbook is opening up as the kid comes along. -@stewpertrooper

Yeah, I don't have many complaints about AVP myself. Certainly, the offense hasn't produced at a high level but I think the bottom line for all of us was that if AVP developed Maye, the rest would work out. Well, Maye's development has been outstanding and he's earned praise from across the NFL. Mayo pointed out that's a credit to Van Pelt and how could it not be? I know everyone wants and needs more point production but I see things getting better almost every week. He's getting more creative and, against the Rams, the Patriots offense started to find some consistency that's been hard to find in recent years around here. Personally, I'm glad they have him and excited to see how they continue to build an offense around Maye. -Mike Dussault

Could Vederian Lowe be our Tackle and WR1 of the future? @d9sepulveda18

He might lack elite speed but you can't argue with the separation he gets! -Mike Dussault

DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer