The 17-snap debut for Michael Floyd on Sunday was the latest step in the wide receiver’s game day orientation process.
In Miami, a bigger role likely awaits Floyd who joined the team two weeks ago after being released by the Cardinals.
“I think it was important for him,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said of Floyd’s stint against the Jets. “He went with us to Denver, got to kind of see how we do things, then he got to experience a normal week, or as normal as he could last week. It was a little shorter than normal, but just our whole preparation, our practice, how we go about implementing the game plan.
“Going out there (against the Jets) and experiencing a game day where he’s active, he’s in the huddle, he’s hearing how we work on the sideline and all the rest of it (added some experience),” said McDaniels. “I think it was good for him to go through that. He got his feet wet, caught his first ball, had a couple targets, blocked in the running game, got to experience some different things on third down and in the red area.”
Floyd caught a 6-yard slant, made a downfield reception out of bounds and was missed on a red zone target by Jimmy Garoppolo against the Jets.
As the Patriots head toward the playoffs and the debate about how long players should perform heats up this week, getting Floyd up to speed with Tom Brady remains a chore with completing.
“Each day, hopefully, we’re working hard with him and he’s working hard to catch himself up as best he can and to learn the game plan and what we may ask of him this week, and each day obviously gives us a great opportunity to take a step forward,” said McDaniels.