3 thoughts on Phillip Dorsett's dependability, Tom Brady's trigger, and optimal offensive production

Some statistical nuggets for you guys to think about this Friday morning:

1. We continue to bang the drum for Phillip Dorsett, and when you look at the numbers, it’s easy to see why. The receiver, who has 27 catches on 32 targets this season for a rate of 84 percent. If Dorsett doesn’t catch another pass this season, he could still set a mark — he’d be the first wide receiver of the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick to finish with a catch rate of 80 percent or better with a minimum of 30 targets.

Here’s a look at the catch rate for the Patriots’ pass catchers this season (minimum, 25 targets):

Dorsett: 27 catches on 32 targets (84 percent)
Julian Edelman: 44 catches on 61 targets (72 percent)
James White: 67 catches on 94 targets (71 percent)
Chris Hogan: 25 catches on 38 targets (66 percent)
Rob Gronkowski: 32 catches on 50 targets (64 percent)
Josh Gordon: 31 catches on 54 targets (57 percent)

One more note: White has already set a new franchise mark for targets for a running back since 2000, breaking the previous mark of 86 (which he set in 2016). Shane Vereen (77 targets), Kevin Faulk (74) and White (72) round out the top 5.