Mitchell makes big moves
Rookie WR joins in Pats offense
FOXBORO — The following is a complete list of players who have beaten Darrelle Revis for two touchdowns in a single game. Malcolm Mitchell. That’s it and that’s all. The Patriots rookie wideout announced his arrival in the last two weeks, and made history by scorching Revis Island twice on Sunday, including the gamewinner against the Jets to cap Tom Brady’s 200th career victory.
“It’s just encouragement to go out there in practice and work harder and harder and harder so our team can be put in the best situations to win,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell has nine receptions for 140 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games, which signifies an explosion after the fourthround pick caught seven balls for 95 yards prior to that. Mitchell’s production validated what teammates have witnessed in practice, as the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder has blossomed, cleaning up some youth-related technique issues to progress as a pass catcher.
Cornerback Logan Ryan worked closely with Mitchell, even after practices, when they have catching competitions with the JUGS machine. Mitchell has become a tougher assignment.
“When he first came in, you saw the size of this dude’s hands, how he catches the ball, his speed,” Ryan said. “You knew he had a lot of talent, and making that transition is tough from college to the NFL. I think the confidence grows with making plays.”
Confidence is one thing, but Mitchell’s physicality is every bit as important. Cornerback Eric Rowe appreciated Mitchell’s progress. The corner used to lock him up at the line, but Mitchell made major strides in fighting off those jams, and it’s been showcased in games.
“He is catching everything in practice,” Rowe said. “We have tight coverage on him, especially in one-on-ones, and he is still making the catch. It could be a 2-yard gain, but the fact is he is still making the catch. I’ve seen that a lot better from him. At practice, I used to get really good jams on him at the line to kind of stun him, but now he is starting to figure out different types of releases so he won’t get stopped at the line, kind of get off the press and get open even better.”
Even with Mitchell’s modest start, he is on pace for 24 catches for 352 yards, both of which would be the fifth-most for a Patriots rookie receiver since Brady took over in 2001. He is also on pace for four touchdowns, which would tie a rookie receiver record over that stretch.
But considering Mitchell has 16 receptions for 235 yards and three scores, he has an outside chance to become the most prolific rookie wideout to run with Brady, particularly now that tight end Rob Gronkowski is down and the three- and four-receiver packages will increase. Mitchell would need to average 5.6 catches per game to break Deion Branch’s mark of 43 in 2002, so that might be unreasonable. But if he averages 57 yards per game in the next five weeks, he’d break Aaron Dobson’s record (519) from 2013.
The main reason why Mitchell has a chance to push for those marks is his work ethic, and he is among the few who earned Brady’s admiration.
“I think there’s a learning process, for sure,” Mitchell said. “How long that takes is different for each player. You’ve just got to grind it out.”
The Patriots admire the way Mitchell maintained his consistency through the growing process.
“Coming in as a rookie, it’s tough to pick up the playbook,” said quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who gets a lot of work with Mitchell on the scout team. “All the hours we put in, it’s a lot different than college, so to be able to do all of that and sustain it is impressive.”
Soon enough, Mitchell’s contributions will be loud enough, as they were against Revis and the Jets. His teammates have seen it bubbling for some time.
“He can be really good,” Rowe said. “Shoot, the way he has progressed through his rookie season, especially this last stretch when we’ve needed everybody to step up, he can be an elite receiver in the league if he keeps working like that.”