FOXBORO -- Through the Patriots spring workouts and summer training camp practices, Danny Amendola was the team's best wideout. Even before pads were introduced, he played as though every snap was critical. And in his mind, they were.
Undrafted out of Texas Tech, and a practice squad afterthought as a rookie with the Cowboys, Amendola -- like many in the Patriots locker room -- plays with a perpetual chip on his shoulder. That meant that in the offseason, though he had a relatively secure role as one of the team's top three receivers, he competed as if he had a job to win.
Through six games, that hair-on-fire approach has paid dividends. He has 25 catches for 289 yards and two touchdowns, and he's been most effective over the course of the Patriots last two games against AFC rivals. In wins over the Colts and Jets, he has put up 15 catches for 191 yards and a score.
In particular, the fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-23 victory over New York put on display just how vital a cog Amendola is out of the slot in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' offense. He caught five passes from Tom Brady for 56 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown on a third-and-six play that moved the Patriots ahead after trailing, 20-16.
"Just practice everyday as hard as I can [and] in the offseason," Amendola said after. "It just comes down to one play on Sunday, and you've gotta make it."
Here is a little closer look at three of Amendola's five fourth-quarter grabs that helped the Patriots secure their sixth win of the season to remain undefeated.
THIRD AND 6 AT NYJ 8, 7:25 REMAINING: 8-YARD TOUCHDOWN
New England Patriots
The Patriots aligned with three receivers to the left and one tight end, Rob Gronkowski, on the right.
"It was a zone, and I knew that I had a chance," Amendola said. "I'm like the second or third read on that so I'm just trying to get open just a little bit late, later in the play. Brady ended up looking off and coming back to me. It ended up working out."
Despite the fact that Darrelle Revis was lined up across from Julian Edelman, Brady's eyes went there first. Once Edelman broke his route to the right, with Revis still on his hip, Brady came back to Amendola and made a split-second decision.
“It’s just a play that we’ve been working on for a long time," Amendola said, "and they gave us the coverage that we like . . . I knew with the play call and the coverage that they were in specifically, I knew that it was going to have a chance."
Edelman's path to the back right corner of the end zone ended up opening up a little bit of space for Amendola over the middle. In a conference call on Monday, Patriots coach Bill Belichick called the timing of the play "perfect."
"Edelman, who was the inside receiver, kind of cleared through and took Revis with him," Belichick said. "It was just kind of a brief split-second there where Amendola came in, and [Jets safety Marcus] Gilchrist came down from his safety position. I think the Jets were playing, it looked like they were playing a three-on-two coverage with [corner Marcus] Williams on the outside and Revis on the inside and Gilchrist over the top.
"When Revis got cleared out by Edelman, really, Amendola was coming inside to what I think was a double-coverage with Gilchrist. Gilchrist got down there as the ball arrived, pretty much. It was a really close play, but Tom made a great throw, and Danny made a great catch. We all know how that is on the other side, having coached defenses for a long time. Sometimes you're in really good position, but a good throw and a good catch beats it. I'd say that was the case right there. It was good defense, but it was a well-executed play."
FIRST AND 10 AT NE 43, 4:20 REMAINING: 13-YARD RECEPTION
With the Patriots clinging to a 23-20 lead, Amendola helped to put his team in field-goal range with a leaping grab near the sideline that had his teammates and coaches fired up. Running an out-route from the slot and trailed by Jets slot corner extraordinaire Buster Skrine, Brady saw Amendola in one-on-one coverage and gave him a chance to make a play where only he could make it.
"He's always making acrobatic catches," Gronkowski said after the game. "He looks like a gymnast half the time. He had that one crazy one versus the Jets. You saw him a couple times this year. He's super athletic. He's freaky athletic where he can jump super quick, and he makes those kinds of catches, which look awesome."
Amendola was more understated when asked about his the play later -- specifically where that kind of vertical leap came from.
"Just a game jump," he said with a smile. "That's it."
THIRD AND 10 AT NYJ 33, 2:06 REMAINING: 11-YARD RECEPTION
The Patriots used a four-receiver set in order to help spread out the Jets, making it harder for them to blitz. A conversion on third down could mean the difference between a six-point lead with a Stephen Gostkowski field goal, or a potential double-digit lead with less than two minutes remaining for the Jets to come back.
When Amendola walked to the line, he knew he'd have one man to beat. Again, it was Skrine.
"That was a play where they manned up," Amendola said. "I just had to get inside of him and try to get out. It was basically just a slant. That's a play I've run a lot in my career, and it ended up working out. Strictly a slant. Everyone is really slanting on that play."
Amendola's route got him free first, setting up Skrine with an outside move before getting his hips turned to chase him back inside. Skrine signed a four-year, $25 million deal this offseason to be one of the keys to New York's rebuilt secondary, but Amendola got the better of him, and two plays later the Patriots were back in the end zone to give them a 30-20 advantage.
"He's a good player," Amendola said. "He's really fast. Just tried to work it."