The New England Patriots expected Brandon LaFell to boost their passing game. That didn't happen in Week 1.
The former Carolina Panthers wide receiver was shut out against the Miami Dolphins, finishing without a catch despite six targets from Tom Brady. To compound matters, LaFell committed two penalties, including an offensive interference infraction that short-circuited a fourth-quarter drive in Sunday's 33-20 loss.
It remains to be seen if LaFell's dud will lead to a decrease in playing time on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings (LaFell played 39 of 86 snaps in Week 1, according to ProFootballFocus.com). The receiver wants to move on.
"I just want to continue to get open, you know, catch the ball," LaFell said, via the Boston Herald. "Get open, catch the ball and make sure I don't have any missed assignments during the game and take care of my business on every snap."
"We're just continuing to work at it and go out there and practice and work on our routes and working on our communication and our timing," Brady said. "Hopefully it pays off in the game. It's something that we've been working on since we got here, and hopefully it shows up better this week than it did last week."
If it doesn't, LaFell will get Ochocinco'd right out of the Patriots' offense.
The latest "Around The NFL Podcast" makes some bold predictions about the 2014 season and backs them up by putting some sandwiches on the line.