Rookie WR's look like they are turning the corner

These first few weeks for the Patriots have been very curious indeed. After solid performances by Tom Brady in the first couple games of the season, where he seemed to be aggravated with his rookie WR's, this week it was as if the tables were turned. Rookie WR's Aaron Dobson and Kenbrell Thompkins seemed to be picking up the slack, but it was Brady who looked as if his execution was a little off. Over-thrown and under-thrown passes were mixed in a lot more often than Pats fans are used to.

Even still, what the team and fans should take away from this game is the hustle and overall great play by Thompkins and Dobson. Dobson led the team in receptions and yards (7 for 52), while Thompkins got the first two touchdowns of his NFL career. Dobson may have gotten a TD as well had Brady managed to get the ball to him on a particular play, late in the game where the WR was wide open.

Though Brady himself struggled today, the rookie pass-catchers look like they are getting used to NFL play. After clear jitters and nerves getting the best of them in the first couple games (wrong routes, drops, miscommunications), the WR's handled themselves well today. For the first time this season, one of the rookies led the team in receptions and yards as well. Dobson and Thompkins have a ways to go, but in a long NFL season, they look as though they could finally be making some big strides. 

My biggest theory on these guys is that once Rob Gronkowski and Danny Amendola return, there will be less pressure on them to perform as well. With the team's best two pass-catchers out early in the season, the pressure to step in and immediately become Brady's best targets was clearly taking its toll on Dobson and Thompkins. If they can manage to handle this pressure for now, when Gronk and Amendola return, this offense could be a monster. Until then and throughout the rest of the season, we'll continue to watch the development of these rookies with a close eye.

Stats via ESPN.com

Anthony Aidonidis
@aidonidis18