New England Patriots 'Malik Magic:' Cunningham to Kickstart Offense at Las Vegas Raiders?
The New England Patriots may be adding a bit of "Vegas-style" excitement to their struggling offense just when it is most-needed — in a city known for its extravagant and exciting spectacles.
According to a Saturday afternoon NFL Network report, the Pats have signed quarterback/receiver hybrid Malik Cunningham to a three-year deal, thus making him a member of their 53-man roster just one day before their Week 6 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
With New England's offense in a fluid state, many within Patriots Nation are wondering whether the intriguing, yet untested rookie may be in line to contribute sooner, rather than later.
Following a humiliating 34-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 5, the Patriots coaching staff has committed to "starting over" in their quest to inject life back into what has become a listless offense. The Pats managed to muster only 156 total yards of offense against the Saints, with only 45 coming from their running game. New England converted only 1 of 14 third-down attempts, while averaging an anemic 3.1 yards-per-play. Throughout their past two games, the Pats have been outscored 72-3.
While sweeping changes within New England's offense have seemingly become mandatory, fans and media alike are most openly clamoring for a shakeup at quarterback. Starter Mac Jones completed only 12 of 22 pass attempts for 110 yards in Week 5 with two interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown) before being relegated to the bench for the second straight week. Through five games this season, the Alabama product has compiled 1,008 yards on 105 completions with five touchdowns and six interceptions.
Jones was replaced by Bailey Zappe with just over 13 minutes remaining against the Saints. In four drives, Zappe completed only three of nine passes for 22 yards, leading the Pats to two three-and-outs and two failed fourth-down conversations. In total, Zappe has connected on seven passes for 79 yards in reserve duty.
Enter stage right, Malik Cunningham?
Cunningham was originally signed by the Pats as a rookie free agent out of Louisville in May. Despite a relatively quiet offseason program, the 25-year-old made an explosive entrance into New England's collective consciousness by leading the team on a 75-yard scoring drive in the closing moments of their preseason opener against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Cunningham rushed five times for 34 yards, while completing 3 of 4 passes for 19 yards. He impressively remained unfazed by losing his helmet on a tackle by Texans defensive back Jacobi Francis on second-and-13 at the 50. Cunningham bounced back by throwing a bolt to receiver Tre Nixon in the end zone, which slipped through the wideout’s fingers. He capped the drive by evading two defenders on a nine-yard run to give New England’s offense its first touchdown of the preseason.
In spite of his auspicious debut, Cunningham's production progressively declined throughout the remainder of the preseason. He ended his exhibition slate having completed three of six passes for 19 yards, while catching one pass for -1 yard, and carrying the ball six times for 39 yards and one score. Ultimately, the Louisville product was released during final roster cutdowns and subsequently signed to the Pats practice squad.
Still, Cunningham’s dual threat capabilities have made him a valuable scout-team asset this season. In fact, offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien acknowledged that his mobility and presence both in and out of the pocket have allowed him to impersonate some of the NFL's best hybrid weapons.
"Malik works very hard," O'Brien said of Cunningham earlier this week. "He does a good job on the practice squad. He's mostly played receiver... We worked in some quarterback [positional drills] last week mimicking [Saints hybrid quarterback/receiver] Taysom Hill ... he can do a lot of things for us."
New England Patriots QB/WR Malik Cunningham
Photo Cred: CBS Sports
Though he is best known for his skills at quarterback, Cunningham has primarily practiced at receiver. As such, he may be best suited to align at the position when talking his first regular season snaps as a pro. Should he do so on Sunday against the Raiders, Cunningham would join fellow receivers DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Kayshon Boutte, practice squad elevation Jalean Reagor and Tyquan Thornton — who was activated from injured reserve on Saturday. Veteran JuJu Smith-Schuster and rookie Demario Douglas have been ruled out for Week 5 while in concussion protocol.
However, the Patriots struggles at quarterback are likely to lead many into visions of Cunningham working his 'Malik Magic' to resurrect a nearly lifeless Patriots offense. Although both O'Brien and head coach Bill Belichick have indicated that Jones will remain the starter for the time being, Cunningham's presence provides the chance for New England to keep opposing defenses guessing as to whether he will be playing the role of quarterback or receiver when in the lineup — opening up the possibility for gadget-type plays which have been known to spark offensive production.
Judging from his remarks to the media on Friday morning, Belichick has at least entertained the idea, as well.
"Malik’s really worked hard and made a lot of improvement," Belichick said. "He never played receiver [at Louisville] – didn’t look very good there in the spring, but he’s really improved. He can catch the ball, but just route running and finding zones and things like that, it’s come pretty naturally to him. He plays a good amount of quarterback. He’s competent there. He’s a smart kid, works hard, and with the opportunities he’s had, he’s shown a lot of improvement."
Whether Cunningham eventually gets the opportunity to provide more than just situational contributions at quarterback is still a matter of conjecture. Moving on from a player [Jones] in which the team invested the No. 15 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft is not a decision to be made lightly. Yet, before the pseudo-vote of confidence from both O'Brien and Belichick is misinterpreted as an iron-clad endorsement, Jones' retention as the starter appears to be as much about his presently being the only choice as opposed to the right one. In fact, had Zappe performed at a higher level, speculation has it that he may have received serious consideration to unseat Jones as early as this week. Veteran Will Grier, currently third on the Pats depth chart, has also reportedly been given consideration, though New England remains reluctant due to his lack of practice reps within the system.
In the final analysis, Jones will be the starting quarterback when the Pats and Raiders take the field for their 4:05 p.m. ET kickoff— a fact which will remain unchanged by Cunningham's signing. However, the rookie's addition to the 53-man roster demonstrates that the Patriots have been impressed with his work ethic and progress. Rather than simply elevate him from the practice squad, New England chose to secure his services with a three-year contract, suggesting that their plans for the rookie extend beyond Week 5. Should Jones falter against the Raiders, it would not be beyond either Belichick or O'Brien to give Cunningham a significant look at quarterback. Though the 71-year-old coach [who is also feeling the heat in Foxboro for the first time in over two decades] attempted to curb fans' enthusiasm on the subject, he did not rule out the possibility of Cunningham aligning under center in Sin City.
"It’s a little too early for an induction ceremony here, but definitely a lot of improvement," Belichick said of Cunningham with a slight grin.
Perhaps a little "Malik Magic" is in store for Week 5, after all.
