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The New England Patriots are intent on clinching first place in the AFC East, and they knew that they were going to have to compete against the New York Jets in Week 17 without wide receiver Mack Hollins. He had been ruled out of the game with an abdomen injury, and now they know they won’t have him in the season finale against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18. Hollins has been placed on Injured Reserve by the Patriots.
This is a significant issue for quarterback Drake Maye and the Patriots, because Hollins has been having a solid season. He has caught 46 receptions for 550 yards and 2 TDs, but he has made a much stronger contribution than just catching passes. He has been an excellent blocking wideout and he had played in all 15 games. Maye likes working with him because he has size. The 6-foot-4 Hollins is the only Patriots wide receiver taller than 6 feet.
The Patriots will likely have a big advantage over the last-place Jets in this encounter. The Patriots know that if they take care of business against New York and then defeat the Miami Dolphins in the regular-season finale, they will clinch the AFC East. Head coach Mike Vrabel’s Patriots still have a chance at the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoff structure, but they would need the Broncos to lose their regular-season finale against the Chargers.
Maye has a chance to win the Most Valuable Player award in his second year with the Patriots after getting drafted in 2024 with the No. 3 overall pick. He has completed 321 of 453 passes for 3,947 yards with 25 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He will often hold on to the ball longer than he should, as Maye has been sacks 46 times.
While the loss of Hollins will hurt, the Patriots have Stefon Diggs and tight end Hunter Henry as their leading receivers. Diggs has caught 76 passes for 869 yards with 3 TDs, while Henry has caught 52-663-6.
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