The NFL provides some surprises each and every week.
On Sunday, New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins fit the bill.
The Pats were taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an exciting matchup of two-loss teams. New England's receiver corps was missing Kayshon Boutte, but otherwise, everyone was healthy. There wasn't an obvious reason to expect Hollins to climb from the depths of the depth chart and have a big day.
But then Drake Maye targeted Hollins 10 times. He caught six passes for 106 yards, including a 59-yarder.
What in the world?
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Sometimes, teams just like a matchup and see a player is going well and keep going there.
And because Hollins isn't known as a prolific receiver, it made sense to look back and see if he's ever done this before.
Turns out, there's only one game in which Hollins was targeted more or had more yards.
On Sept. 25, 2022, Hollins suited up for the Raiders against the Titans. He caught 8-of-11 targets for 158 yards and a touchdown.
That day, Hollins also completed a pass for 4 yards.
So he didn't top that on Sunday (although this was a win for Hollins, and that 2022 game was a loss).
The Patriots and Hollins will gladly take 6-106 and a W any day of the week.
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