New England Patriots' JuJu Smith-Schuster: Scores Touchdown, Sparks Fight
New England Patriots fans who hoped to see JuJu Smith-Schuster make a bigger impact on game day had their wish fulfilled during Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins ... but perhaps not in the way they desired.
Smith-Schuster did officially enter the New England scoring ledgers for the first time, earning six points from three yards away as part of the final tally of the defeat. Alas for the embattled veteran catcher, it was his only grab of the day and he created postgame headlines for a hit on Dolphins defender Brandon Jones that both yielded a 15-yard penalty and tenuous extracurriculars after what became New England's final offensive play of the afternoon.
With Jones injured on the play, Miami took exception to Smith-Schuster's moonlighting as a defender, which he said was made in an attempt to prevent an interception. Players from both sidelines faced off at midfield but order was eventually restored well enough to afford the Dolphins their final kneel-downs and make the Patriots' latest defeat official.
“I just saw the defensive player try to go for the interception, and I was just trying to make a play,” Smith-Schuster said, per Zack Cox of NESN. “While he was coming down with the ball, I kind of just hit him in the chest and tried to get the ball out.
“Of course, (Miami) seemed upset. I can see why. But it was a clean hit.”
Taylor Swift was nowhere to be found but it was obvious that bad blood re-emerged in the conclusion of the annual two-game set between division rivals. Long before Smith-Schuster's infraction, his fellow receiver DeVante Parker was forced to leave the game as the victim of a helmet-to-helmet hit from Miami defender DeShon Elliott.
Those involved in the Miami side of the fourth quarter scrum seemed to believe that Smith-Schuster stood over Jones after the hit but his fellow Patriots came to his defense in the aftermath.
“To me, it was … it wasn’t head to head,” defensive lineman Christian Barmore said, per Chad Finn of the Boston Globe. “He made him not get the pick, so he was doing his job. He didn’t stand over him. He walked right (over to the) sideline. Guys got mad, came off the sideline, so we got mad.”
Though cleared in the eyes of his teammates, Smith-Schuster will still face accusers in the court of public football opinion in more ways than one.
While he has dealt with injuries in the early stages of his New England tenure (Sunday marked his return to action after missing the prior two games), he has yet to establish any form of residency in the primary receiving rotation. Part of that is brought about by the emergence of younger talents like Demario Douglas but Smith-Schuster has hardly done anything to make viewers forget about Jakobi Meyers, whose departure to Las Vegas necessitated his arrival in the first place.
Smith-Schuster scored his first New England touchdown on Sunday
Jim Rassol/Palm Beach Post via USA TODAY Sports Images
Through six games, Smith-Schuster has produced only 89 yards on 15 receptions. To that end, the touchdown was his only catch on Sunday. In comparison, Meyers had 50 yards on seven catches alone in Las Vegas' most recent game, a 30-12 loss to Chicago last Sunday.
Head coach Bill Belichick offered a typical tepid response when asked about Smith-Schuster's lack of snaps.
“We played multiple people,” head coach Bill Belichick said, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. “(Smith-Schuster) missed two weeks. But we played multiple people. So. whichever guy plays less, you’ll ask why that guy didn’t play more and so, we can’t play everybody.”
As the Patriots' season sinks further into oblivion, it's fair to believe that Smith-Schuster, working through the first year of a three-season, $25.5 million contract, could find some opportunities as the games become increasingly inconsequential and injuries (i.e. Parker, Kendrick Bourne) mount on the receiving ledgers. Smith-Schuster kept his head up in the face of the new adversity, resolving only to control what he can control and take in the antics of his fellow receivers.
“I know my boys that are out there on the field, they’re going to make their plays,” Smith-Schuster said, per Kyed. “The guys that they put out there, (that) the coaches have lined up, they’re going to make their plays. We all can make plays. This is why we’re here. It’s the National Football League. So when my opportunity comes, you’ve just got to make the best of it.”
Smith-Schuster's next chance to earn snaps comes at Gillette Stadium when the Patriots (2-6) host the Washington Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
