Chris Hogan saying all right things in middle of target drought

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FOXBORO -- Chris Hogan leapt into the air, seemingly out of frustration, when the ball wasn't thrown his way on a fourth-and-six play against the Titans. He'd been open, but the football went to Julian Edelman instead and fell incomplete.

He finished the game with two targets, no catches. The previous week it was the same story. Two targets. No catches. He caught his only two targets in Week 8.


For a player in a contract year, one playing in a top-10 scoring offense, it would be understandable if Hogan was frustrated. He's not getting many looks, even in weeks when Rob Gronkowski is out injured, and some of the looks he might've gotten at one point are now going elsewhere.

Josh Gordon, for instance, an early-season trade acquisition, has more than four times the number of targets Hogan has had in the last three weeks (27).

"Can't really concern yourself with that," Hogan said Monday. "You don't let any of that really consume you. I think, for me, I kind of just go out there and do my job the best that I can and try to show up on film as much as I can. And whenever the opportunities come my way, just be able to make a play."

Hogan's had moments throughout the course of the season when he could've seen passes thrown his way, and . . . they just . . . weren't.

On the second play of the game in a Week 5 matchup with the Colts, Hogan motioned from right to left, no defender went with him, and he stood uncovered at the line of scrimmage. With a quick throw on second-and-one, Hogan would've picked up an easy first down and more. Instead, Brady handed off to James White for no gain.

Hogan's lack of targets hasn't been the result of a lack in playing time. The Patriots, like most NFL teams, lean heavily on their 11-personnel package with three receivers on the field. As a result, with Hogan frequently sharing the field with Edelman and Gordon, he hasn't played fewer than 42 snaps in a game this season. In the last three games, Hogan's averaged over 50 snaps.

"If we were making a bunch of mistakes and there were guys open on the field and the ball’s not getting to them, then we certainly can try to correct that," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Monday. "That’s generally not the case. 

"Sometimes it’s circumstances, sometimes it’s the defense, what they play. The coverage dictates that maybe we went somewhere else. Sometimes it’s protection. Certainly, protection has a huge impact on how much time we have to go through your progression. And ultimately, we want all our guys to be able to have a chance to produce and help us win, which they all can. That’s why they play. That’s why they practice so hard. My responsibility is to try to find a way for those guys to impact the game in a positive manner. Hopefully that means production on a weekly basis. Sometimes that’s not the case."

The target share -- Edelman has 32 targets in the last three games -- isn't much of a concern to McDaniels. Though balance might at times help the Patriots move the football, it's really just moving the football that's important.

"I think," McDaniels said, "once you start trying to force the ball to one or two or three different guys to try to keep track of targets or touches, et cetera, you can kind of get yourself out of what’s most important, which is good, solid execution on a play-to-play basis."

Perhaps Gronkowski's return will help alter coverage and in turn free-up space for Hogan to maneuver. Perhaps during the bye week the Patriots found something to tweak in their offense that will allow Hogan to make a greater impact based on the number of snaps he's played. 

Hard to say until the Patriots play the Jets this weekend. But until then, Hogan is saying all the right things.

"We just don't have those types of players on this team," Hogan replied when asked why targets haven't become a locker room issue. 

"All the guys, skill players specifically, I think everyone on this team kind of knows their role and knows that they're just going to go out there and try to do the job the best that they can."

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