Ja’Lynn Polk’s rookie wall came much sooner than expected for the talented wide receiver.
He struggled mightily the last two weeks, catching just two passes on 10 targets and was practically invisible in New England’s 20-point loss to the Houston Texans this past Sunday. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said Polk “needs to get over this mental hump” to become effective.
Polk doesn’t see it that way.
“I’m not dealing with (any) mental problems at all. No mental problems,” Polk told MassLive’s Mark Daniels on Wednesday.
Much was expected out of Polk when the Patriots drafted the Washington product in the second round of this year’s NFL draft. But the 22-year-old produced just 10 catches for 78 yards and one touchdown in six games.
Evaluators lauded Polk for his strong hands coming out of college, but that hasn’t exactly translated to the NFL. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound pass-catcher dropped two passes on 23 targets this season, something Mayo wants to see the young wideout “eliminate.” The drops certainly aren’t messing with Polk’s supreme confidence, though.
“I believe I have the best hands in the league,” Polk said. “So, I feel like my drops, that’s not an issue at all.”
Polk started five of six games this season, but saw his playing time reduced this past week. After playing in 100% of the team’s offensive snaps in a close loss to the Miami Dolphins, Polk played in 65% of the team’s offensive snaps against the Texans. The Patriots decided to give more playing time to Kayshon Boutte, who caught his first career touchdown pass in the contest.
Polk isn’t trending in the right direction and he feels he’s being held back on the field.
“I feel like I’m limited to what I can really do right now,” Polk said. “I mean, just continue to keep a good mindset and getting better.”