The New England Patriots are just one win away from reaching the Super Bowl, again, and this time without former Pats legends Bill Belichick as coach or Tom Brady as their star quarterback.
It’s an entirely fresh roster since those previous Patriots dynasties, featuring head coach Mike Vrabel and young quarterback Drake Maye leading the way. Maye worked his way into the NFL Most Valuable Player conversation this season and landed among the final four candidates.
The former North Carolina QB has had plenty of options as targets on offense, including promising newcomer Kayshon Boutte, veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and tight end Hunter Henry. All three have been key contributors, and the Patriots appear to be receiving a significant boost, based on a recent injury update.
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On Saturday afternoon, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that the team activated receiver Mack Hollins to their 53-man roster. Based on stats, Hollins ranked as the team’s fourth-best receiving option this season with 550 yards and two touchdowns on 46-of-65 receptions in the 15 games he played.
It’s his first season with New England, after entering the league in 2017 as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. After two seasons in Philly, he played for the Miami Dolphins, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons, and Buffalo Bills.
However, Hollins, 32, has yet to participate in his team’s postseason run due to suffering an oblique injury in late December. The team placed him on the injured reserve list, and now he appears ready to return as they push towards a Super Bowl return.
After a first-round bye, New England eliminated CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round. They’ll now take on a Broncos team featuring backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham, and Denver lost its starting quarterback, Bo Nix, to a broken ankle in their win against the Buffalo Bills.
It’s unknown how effective New England’s passing game will be, though. The Broncos ranked No. 7 in passing yards allowed per game, giving up just 187.2 per game to opponents this past season.
Having more options to pass to could be what Maye needs, although they also have star running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson, who compiled over 1,500 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns this past season.
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