Reggie Wayne quiet in first preseason game with Patriots
Reggie Wayne caught more than 1,000 passes in his 14 years as an Indianapolis Colt, but he’ll have to wait at least another week for his first as a Patriot.
The newly-signed veteran was held catchless in his New England debut during last night’s preseason game, playing on 20 snaps and failing to corral his lone target, which came with 8:33 to go in the second quarter.
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Patriots fans may have hoped for more from their newest weapon, but a slow acclimation is to be expected, and Wayne himself said the playbook is unlike any he’s had to learn before.
“No comparison, so that makes it even worse,’’ Wayne said at a press conference Tuesday, the day after his signing was announced. “But like I said, I’m excited about the opportunity.’’
Wayne, who turns 37 in November, had just 779 yards on 64 catches last season and was mostly phased out of the Colts’ playbook in favor of fresher legs as the year wore on, though it should be noted his performance was hampered by a triceps injury.
While Wayne made little impact on the game, Bill Belichick said the reps were part of the larger acclimation process that starts in practice.
“You can go out there and practice that stuff all you want, but it’s always a little different in the game so it was good to start that process,’’ he said. “We obviously have a long way to go, but [we’ll] keep working on it.’’
If Wayne can’t find his niche in the Patriots offense, he wouldn’t be the first – but just a few days into his developing chemistry with Tom Brady and learning one of the league’s most notoriously complicated playbooks, the jury is still out.
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