![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/one100-Boston_Ad_SIgnUp_300x250_v1-3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAnd then there\u2019s Sunday\u2019s win over Buffalo, where Hogan led all Patriot wide receivers with 62 snaps (23 pass routes) but wasn\u2019t targeted in the game by quarterback Tom Brady.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’re just a competitor,\u201d Hogan said when asked if he\u2019s frustrated about his lack of targets. \u201cYou want to go out there and do what\u2019s best for the team and help your team move the ball downfield, make plays, help your team win football games. It\u2019s all about opportunity in this league, and when you get the opportunity, you have to make the most of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.clnsmedia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-26-at-10.44.27-PM-500x218.png\")
<\/p>\n
In Hogan\u2019s first two seasons with the Patriots, he averaged nearly five targets and 46.6 receiving yards, and in nine regular-season games last season he saw over 6.5 targets per game.<\/p>\n
This season, Hogan is averaging a shade under three targets and 31.2 receiving yards per game.<\/p>\n
And among the 39 receivers that have played at least 700 snaps this season, Hogan has the fewest targets (44).<\/p>\n
Hogan was then asked if the trust and chemistry are still there with Brady and responded with two words: \u201cyeah, absolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a lot to unpack here on the tape when it comes to Hogan\u2019s drop off in production.<\/p>\n
First, Brady hasn\u2019t looked his way at times in situations where Hogan does find openings in the coverage for reasons outside of his control.<\/p>\n
[arve url=”https:\/\/streamable.com\/s\/swlrs\/wofvgn” \/]<\/p>\n
On this play from Sunday, it\u2019s third down and six for the Patriots in the third quarter. Hogan is lined up as the \u201cX\u201d receiver to Brady\u2019s right in a reduced split. He then runs a \u201cstick\u201d route where he sits down at the first down marker. The Bills blitz and Brady immediately throws the ball to running back James White in the flat who does his best to elude multiple tacklers but comes up short of the line to gain. As you can see, Hogan is wide open clearly in Brady\u2019s view, but the ball is out of his hands immediately on the pass into the flat. From this perspective, that speaks to Brady\u2019s struggles with hanging in the pocket and has nothing to do with Hogan.<\/p>\n
Then, there are a few instances where Hogan is open on the play, but Brady\u2019s progression takes him to another receiver; that was the case on the failed game-tying drive attempt at the end of the loss in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n
[arve url=”https:\/\/streamable.com\/s\/qp9ue\/vnylmy” \/]<\/p>\n
On Julian Edelman\u2019s 34-yard reception, Hogan is open down the right sideline if Brady wants to go to him. However, Brady would later say in an interview that he was locked onto Edelman on the play, who\u2019s also open with the Patriots running a cover-2 beater. They have Hogan, and Josh Gordon running “go” routes down the sideline to widen the safeties, and Edelman runs a seam route into the middle of the field. The Steelers invert the coverage with one safety dropping into a deep zone in the middle of the field while the other rotates back into a split safety coverage, and nobody runs with Edelman down the seam. In this play design, Edelman is Brady\u2019s first option, and if he\u2019s as open as he is here, he\u2019s going to get the football.<\/p>\n
Next, there are instances where Hogan might create separation, but the pre and post-snap read take Brady away from him in the progression.<\/p>\n
[arve url=”https:\/\/streamable.com\/s\/8s1na\/wtqmia” \/]<\/p>\n
Here, Hogan (right slot) is going to beat his man with a nifty release, but Brady reads the safety shading over Hogan\u2019s route pre-snap. The safety drops into a deeper zone than maybe Brady anticipated, but Hogan\u2019s seam route is still taking him right into the post safety in the middle of the field. Brady works the other side of his progression and throws an inaccurate pass to an open James White over the middle.<\/p>\n
And finally, a large part of Hogan\u2019s role in the Patriots offense is to clear out space for other receivers, something he told me that every receiver on the team embraces.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s going to be games where you asked to do things that people aren\u2019t always going to see,\u201d Hogan said. \u201cAs a receiver, whoever that is that\u2019s asked to take on those roles, I think everyone embraces that and does whatever is best for the team to try to get wins.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI love celebrating my teammates’ success. Any time I can take a couple of guys out of there or get someone open, whatever the play is called, someone\u2019s able to have success because of something you were able to do, I\u2019m pretty pumped about that.\u201d<\/p>\n
[arve url=”https:\/\/streamable.com\/s\/ino70\/cegvat” \/]<\/p>\n
On this first-quarter catch by Julian Edelman, Hogan\u2019s role on the play is to push vertically downfield to take the coverage away from the sideline so that Edelman has space to run an out route. Hogan takes the boundary corner with him and maybe holds the safety for an extra second, and Edelman hauls in the pass.<\/p>\n
[arve url=”https:\/\/streamable.com\/s\/a0nm6\/fthisj” \/]<\/p>\n
Later, Hogan had a similar assignment on a clear out route on a failed screen pass to James Develin. Once again, Hogan takes his man downfield away from the play leaving space for the screen to develop. Unfortunately, Brady gives up too early on the screen, but Hogan did his job on the play.<\/p>\n
Hogan remained steadfast in his support for his quarterback and insisted that their on-field relationship is as good as ever.<\/p>\n
Asked what gives them confidence after a few off games Hogan said, \u201cwhat we\u2019ve done in the past. How hard we\u2019ve worked on the passing game, and obviously the guy who\u2019s leading us with the ball. We have all the faith in the world in him, and I have all the faith in the world in the guys in our locker room. A lot of guys are capable of making a lot of plays in the passing game, and when our offense is required, I think everyone will step up to the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the outside looking in, it appears that Brady and Hogan aren\u2019t on the same page.<\/p>\n
But at least publicly, the two continue to say the right things about each other.<\/p>\n
And in some instances, legitimate football decisions are being made by Brady that take him away from Hogan.<\/p>\n
For all CLNS Patriots Videos\u00a0SUBSCRIBE to our CLNS Media YOUTUBE Channel<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n For the most in depth and comprehensive player and game analysis check out Patriots All-22 with host and Patriots beat reporter Evan Lazar.\u00a0Listen and Subscribe HERE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Get the inside scoop on the Patriots every week on CLNS Media\u2019s Patriots Beat Podcast with host Mike Petraglia. Listen and subscribe here\u00a0iTunes<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Stitcher<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Spotify<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n For all your Patriots content needs throughout the 2018-2019 season follow us on Twitter\u00a0@PatriotsCLNS<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0as well as\u00a0Patriots Insider Mike Petraglia\u00a0@trags<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>and Patriots Beat Reporter Evan Lazar\u00a0@ezlazar<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [arve url=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=FWhkLRZIG5Y” \/] FOXBOROUGH — Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan stood at his locker on Wednesday afternoon inside Gillette Stadium talking to reporters about Sunday’s matchup with the New York Jets. Hogan spoke about a one-game playoff for the Patriots this week to earn a first-round bye, the identity of the offense moving forward, and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":131993,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[207,378,210,344],"class_list":["post-73363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-bill-belichick","tag-chris-hogan","tag-patriots","tag-tom-brady"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n
\n
\n