Could Patriots WR Isaiah Ford make an impact in his debut Sunday?

Patriots wide receiver Isaiah Ford is among the last remaining hopes for injecting life into an offense that’s largely sputtered this season.

The former Dolphin, acquired last week in a deadline-day trade, caught 18 passes for 184 yards in Miami, where a crowded wideouts room ultimately forced his exit. At a trim 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, Ford’s game resembles that of Jakobi Meyers, whose recent breakout is the main reason fans can dream about a more explosive offense in New England. Could adding a Meyers lookalike inspire more production?

Until Ford hits the field, all that can be said is opportunity should present itself. He may not start, but recent history indicates Ford should see his fair share of snaps Sunday against the Ravens, especially given his lack of competition.

Last season, Mohamed Sanu took roughly half of the Pats’ offensive snaps in the first game after he was acquired via trade in mid-October. Weeks earlier, Antonio Brown played 34% of the offense’s snaps in his lone game as a Patriot following a full week of practice. In 2018, Josh Gordon waited an extra week to make his midseason team debut and was rewarded with 18 total plays.

Pats cornerback Jason McCourty, who called Ford “obviously a talented receiver,” declined to describe how he looked in practice on Wednesday and Thursday. But in reflecting on Ford’s performance in last year’s regular-season finale against the Patriots — when he caught seven balls for 54 yards — McCourty described a wideout who theoretically should sharpen the Pats’ passing attack.

“He made a good amount of plays in that game; a guy with suddenness off the line, able to uncover and catches the ball well,” McCourty said. “So hopefully he’s able to come here and be able to help us as a team to improve and get ready for the second half of the season.”

This year, Ford saw his playing time decline sharply after Week 4. He hasn’t played more than 24 offensive snaps in a game since, and has consequently recorded just three catches for 33 yards. Entering Sunday, he’ll have three practices under his belt and been a Patriot for 12 days.

How well Ford maximized that time should determine how much hope he inspires on Sunday.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2IuInbO