Trust Factor? Check...Brandon LaFell A Big Addition For the Patriots Offense
 Brandon LaFell has been a big, physical target for Tom Brady in 2014 and has put up career numbers. (USA TODAY Images) |
The Patriots offense in 2014 took off when TE Rob Gronkowski finally got back to being what he is; the most complete tight end in the NFL. But Tom Brady has more than just Gronk and Julian Edelman to throw to this season. The addition of WR Brandon LaFell has been a huge upgrade for the Pats and he’s been a very valuable if somewhat underrated weapon in the #1 scoring offense in the NFL.
But it wasn’t an easy transition for the big 6’3 WR from LSU this season. He admittedly struggled with the playbook in mini-camp and thru training camp. His struggles in trying to learn the Patriots offense came from having been familiar with a numbers based offense for the past four years in Carolina, then having to learn the Patriots intricate worded system.
LaFell told media during the June mini-camps that his “head was spinning” trying to remember all of his assignments. LaFell left Caroina for New England, signing a three-year $9 million dollar contract with a $3 million dollar signing bonus. So the Patriots were going to be patient…to a degree with the new wide receiver.
Besides the playbook, LaFell was dealing with playing a different position. In Carolina he played mainly out of the slot. Perhaps that was the plan for him in New England, giving Brady a big, physical guy in the slot and having Aaron Dobson as the “X” wide receiver, and Edelman as the “Z”. But that never materialized.
Dobson never made it on the field for OTAs, mini-camps and training camp until the last days. He never got fully healthy and was an after-thought for the season before landing on IR with a hamstring injury. So LaFell was going outside only. And he adapted albeit slowly.
The first two weeks of the season weren’t the start he was looking for, he had zero production and the questions began to circulate that the Patriots were again going to whiff on a free agent wide receiver who couldn’t find the trust factor with Brady.
But things began to improve, LaFell continued to work hard and Brady stuck with him, never losing trust in his ability. Perhaps the only bright spot in the debacle in Kansas City on Monday Night Football was the game LaFell turned in. Six receptions, 119 yards a touchdown was a big night, but it was lost in the glare of that Patriots rout that night. He had turned the corner and now bigger things were coming.
As things rapidly improved for the team and the offense, so did LaFell’s production. The most receptions he ever had in Carolina was in 2013 with 49 catches for 627 yards and five touchdowns. With one game to go, LaFell has 70 catches for 883 yards and seven touchdowns….all career highs. He has an outside chance of breaking the 1000 yard barrier in the finale against Buffalo, joining Edelman who needs just 28 yards receiving for his second 1000 yard season in a row.
LaFell’s 2014 has filled a big void in the Patriots offense. The 2013 saw the team jettison Brandon Lloyd who had good numbers in 2012 (74/911/4TDs) but wasn’t considered a very good teammate. That in conjunction with Wes Welker’s leaving via free agency; Gronk being hurt and Aaron Hernandez in jail left Brady with few receivers. LaFell should have no problem in matching or surpassing the 2012 season of Lloyd on Sunday.
But he’s been much more efficient than Lloyd was in the offense. Lloyd made 74 catches on 131 targets, a completion rating of 56 percent. After a slow start, LaFell has caught 70 passes on just 113 passes for a completion percentage of 61 percent. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF) LaFell is the #18 ranked WR in the NFL this season, with a target rating of 103.1.
He’s given Brady another big, physical receiver who can bring down passes in contested areas and has the ability to generate yards after contact.
Bill Belichick is normally pretty spare in his praise for his players, but in speaking of LaFell he said Monday on WEEI, "(LaFell) uses his size to create separation and he's hard to tackle, using his body to catch the ball in tight spaces...we love the way he's brought those things to our team."
LaFell has done his homework and put in the effort and now in the Patriots lockerroom, he enjoys a prime position, his locker is right next to Tom Brady’s. The worries are now gone, filled with mostly smiles as LaFell good naturedly needles Brady constantly before games for more touches in the passing game.
And he’s become something of a drive starter as Brady will look in his direction first to get the offense moving. He’s been arguably the Patriots most productive receiver on first down as opponents key in on Gronkowski and Edelman.
Of course when an opponent looks across the line the third option in the passing game is a possible 1000 yard receiver; it tells them that this matchup is not going to be an easy one.
Back in June we wrote that LaFell was one of the main players to monitor during the mini-camps and training camp. Now he is for an entirely different reason. With the regular season winding down to a single home game against Buffalo, the playoffs for the Patriots will start in just three short weeks.
Opponents will be looking to limit Gronkowski from being the difference maker he is. Edelman likewise will draw plenty of attention as well as he’s Brady’s safety blanket and the one player who has the best trust factor when the Patriots need a big first down. That leaves LaFell as still the third option but also facing the lesser of the coverage players of the defense.
On Sunday while the Jets pressured Brady and disrupted the passing game, it was LaFell who was the Patriots’ leading receiver on the day. With the Bills and their big pass rush coming to town on Sunday afternoon (time TBA), look for Brady to target the big WR against the Bills secondary.
In the first meeting against Buffalo, LaFell caught four passes for 97 yards and two touchdowns, an 18 yarder and a big 56 yard play to spark the offense. With Edelman and Gronkowski each receiving for more than 90 yards in that game, it will give the Bills something to consider when game planning.
Thinking about all those options in the passing may make their heads spin….
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