Within a week after their interest in free agent Odell Beckham Jr. was reported to the public, another speculation sparked more discussion about a major player who might join the Patriots. The chatter was provided by Deion Branch, who suggested that former New England Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman might “itch” him back if the Patriots were to coax him into retirement.

Beckham is now a Ram, and Edelman has no plans to make a comeback at the end of the season. But the implication behind these two situations is consistent with the Patriots' belief that upgrades can be used in their receiving corps-this belief is gradually being debunked every week.

In Atlanta on Thursday night, three days after Beckham made his Los Angeles debut, the Patriots' receiver was the collective key to their 25-0 win over the Falcons. The foursome of Jakobi Meyers, Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and N'Keal Harry each received the ball, stole 17 goals in 15 times, scored touchdowns, and was 135 yards away.

Are those jaw-dropping numbers? Do not. However, keep in mind that this is the Patriots offense, based on its running game, like to throw it behind when they leak from the backcourt, and end up spending on the two best close-ends in the free agency market A large sum of money in the spring.

On paper, the Patriots’ receivers were offensive afterthought, but their output in Thursday’s game against the Falcons quickly appeared in Sunday’s cumulative 11 catches and 194 against the Browns. After yards and two scoring. Suddenly, they were ready to announce such a number, and Foxboro has never seen such a number since the talks into Thanksgiving week around whether the locals can complete their undefeated season.

The 2007 (mainly) Magic Tournament was the last time the Patriots completed the game with three receivers, each receiving at least 40 passes and receiving 500 yards. Others (2013, 2015 and 2018) are close, but have not yet fully reached the level of production depth.

These Patriots gained the benefit of the extra game, but for the purpose of these predictions, this has been eliminated. According to the schedule of 16 games, Meyers will reach 79 catches and 759 yards. Byrne will have 54 catches and 817 yards. At the same time, Agholor will make 42 steals and 576 yards in the air.

The names of these three are not exactly Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Donta Stallworth-the last three receivers exceed 40 and 500 each season. And the ball-handling advantages of players like Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, plus the number of passes from guards like James White and Sean Weern, must have affected the past decade. Left and right Pates catchers have been enjoying the feeding trough.

But this is not to say that the number of Pats receivers is increasing, because they are also very important. The reason the Pats averaged 27.6 points per game — more than the Chiefs, please note — began with their reliance on Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and ground games. In the red zone, as the frequency increases, Hunter Henry becomes the main target.

However, these receivers are completing the work they are asked to do, and there is little to expect-except for some historical characteristics that are not historically characteristic of Josh McDaniels' offensive methods, and are not entirely suitable for the club's personality or skill set.

In this regard, this group of receivers is a good representative of their position coach, Patriots legend Troy Brown in all aspects. He only had a 1,000-yard season, and in only three years he grabbed more than 43 goals, but he won the red jacket of the Patriots Hall of Famer because he is always reliable and knows how to open and deliver at critical moments. And also has the ability to break out in the big drama.

In the months since he expressed his confidence in them in the early days of the training camp, this has collectively defined his trainees.

"I haven't said enough about all the players on my team this year. This is a great room; great people," Brown said in August. "I like this room, guys."

Since Meyers entered the team as an undrafted rookie, he has been deeply loved by New Englanders. After becoming the team's main receiver last year, he continued to grow this year, confirming this ranking. With additional games, he is expected to enter the first 80 catches and 800 yards, and perhaps even more impressive is the factor that made him third. 

JAKOBI MEYERS ushered in his first career! 📺: #CLEvsNE on CBS 📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/sKTPjxaTre

He has become the closest thing to a safety blanket for McJones, so when the quarterback faces a three-pointer at mid-range from the club, the quarterback looks like Meyers.

In the middle of the third quarter against the Falcons, people's trust in the receiver was well demonstrated. In the third and fifth quarters, old friend Durham Harmon raided the middle from his safe position and rushed towards Jones unimpeded. The quarterback retreated to buy some time, but just before Harmon reached him, Jones passed the ball to his left. When the ball floated out of the quarterback's hands, Meyers had just begun to break outward. 

Jones not only believed that Meyers would be there, but was driving the route with enough depth to make the first downward marker, oh yes, catch the ball with your fingertips before it hits the ground. Meyers successfully executed it, as he often did, and the drive went on. This is the 14th time this season that Meyers received the ball for the first time and hit the ball for the third time. He entered Sunday's game and tied with the lightning professional bowler Keenan Allen for fifth place in the NFL. Followed by Stefon Diggs, Travis Kelce and Cooper Kupp on the leaderboard.

Agholor has always been another chain promoter, and 20 of his 29 catches were his first turnovers of the season. In Atlanta, he led with five catches, broke free in a ruined report and opened the afterburner on the way to the court, thus winning his third touchdown of the season.

Hello, goodbye, NELLY TD! 📺: @NFLonFOX / @NFLonPrime / @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/73BDOSoR8T

This speed makes Agholor the logical choice for the Patriots' greatest threat, but so far, this distinction has belonged to another person signed by New England in the early free agency boom, and that is Byrne. The former 49ers has more than 800 receiving yards. Once the ball is in his hands, most of his gains will come. Byrne averaged 6.9 yards per game after receiving the ball, ranking in the top 20 in the league, behind only five other receivers. He was within the same range as Bucs' Chris Godwin and Bengals' JaMarr Chase, and famous organizers such as Davante Adams (4.7 yards) and Tyreek Hill (4.0 yards) were clearly behind him.

In addition to Byrne's impressive and efficient statistics, he also caught 78.7% of the passes. A pair of Arizona Cardinals-Christian Kirk and Langdale Moore-are the only receivers who have received at least 20 passes this season and have a higher catch rate. Considering that he scored 78 yards of flash in six rushing attempts, and Byrne has become the organizer that Pats believes they sign Jonnu Smith.

Even Harry started to find his role. He only added 8 catches and 117 yards to the group's total score, but at 6 feet 4 inches and weighing 225 pounds, he was excellent as a blocker, especially when he first qualified. In the case of the goal line, he controlled his defender, almost like an extra winger, and he used this to win more opportunities across the court. In the past six games, he has played at least one-third of the New England team. In five days against the Browns and Falcons, he played 61 of 133 possible games (46%). . This is more action than Bourne saw in the two tilts. 

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels acknowledged Harry's contribution this week and said that development and growth will create opportunities for him to move forward in other ways. 

"I think all of us have put in a huge effort," McDaniels said. "In this regard, we asked a lot of receivers and they all showed that they are strong enough and willing to help the team in any way."

They helped win five consecutive victories. They helped the young quarterback succeed. And they have helped everyone see that the Patriots' receiving corps does not need to introduce a big name to become a factor in the team's return to the competition.

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