Tag: Demario Douglas

Patriots WR DeMario Douglas’ absence vs. Jaguars explained

Patriots WR DeMario Douglas missed most of the second half in Sunday’s game

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas did not play for much of the second half of Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, we have an official reason why.

Douglas was in on both of New England’s early scoring drives and was targeted three times in total. He caught two passes on the afternoon for 14 yards. The Patriots’ offense struggled once he left the game, as he has become a reliable weapon for rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

According to Douglas, via the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, he had been throwing up all day long, and the ailment got worse throughout the day.

The Patriots finished Sunday’s game with tight end Hunter Henry and running back JaMycal Hasty as the top two receiving targets. There was hope that rookie wideout Ja’Lynn Polk would step up, but he continued to struggle with multiple dropped passes in the game.

Douglas has been a great receiving weapon for New England, but they’ll need more than the second-year standout to compete offensively this season.

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Patriots QB Drake Maye encouraged by this epic quote from teammate

Drake Maye and DeMario “Pop” Douglas have quickly built a connection

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye made his debut start on Sunday against the Houston Texans, and second-year wide receiver DeMario Douglas gave him encouraging words that stayed with him.

Douglas played a key role in the rookie quarterback’s successful debut start. The speedy wide receiver caught six passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. He praised Maye heavily following the game, as the two appeared to have established a connection on the field.

Douglas said that he would “run through a wall” for Maye. The North Carolina product took that remark to heart and explained what it meant to him.

“It means the world to me,” Maye told media members. “It gives me confidence. I think those guys do a great job of pumping me up. They were pumping me up throughout the game on the sideline, before the game, in the huddle.

“They do a great job. I think wide receivers, they’ve always got the most swag. So our guys always got some swag. So, it’s nice to hear something like that. Just know for those guys, I’d do the same for them.”

Establishing a Douglas-Maye connection will bode well for the future. The Patriots have undergone a youth movement on the offensive side of the ball, and the quarterback and wide receiver will be a major part of the team’s offensive identity.

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WATCH: DeMario Douglas scores first touchdown of NFL career

DeMario Douglas scored his first NFL touchdown

It only took one game playing with rookie quarterback Drake Maye for DeMario Douglas to haul in his first NFL touchdown reception.

The Patriots failed to get the job done against the Houston Texans on Sunday, but the growing connection between Maye and Douglas is something to be positive about.

Douglas beat out his man on a nice route, and the rookie quarterback hit him in stride. The second-year star receiver took the ball 35 yards up the field and dove into the end zone for six points.

Douglas is starting to find his groove in the Patriots offense after being underutilized earlier in the season. He made his presence felt on Sunday with six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.

Maye had an impressive showing in his debut as a starter, and the trickle-down effect was a big game for Douglas. In a team in need of playmakers, Douglas might be the best on the roster.

And the Patriots might finally have the right quarterback to get the most out of him.

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Patriots WR DeMario Douglas says he’d run through wall for Drake Maye

DeMario Douglas had high praise for Drake Maye

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas had high praise for rookie quarterback Drake Maye, as the Patriots fell to the Houston Texans by a 41-21 margin on Sunday.

The North Carolina product had a strong day, throwing for 243 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also led the team in rushing yards, carrying the ball five times for 38 yards.

Douglas had a big part in the rookie quarterback’s success as well. He recorded six catches for 92 yards and his first NFL touchdown. The 35-yard touchdown score was his longest catch of the day.

“He’s got that swag… I’ll run through a wall for him,” Douglas said, via MassLive’s Mark Daniels. “…He had that confidence and was never down… He gave us confidence.”

Those are certainly strong endorsements for the rookie, as he looks to take command of the Patriots’ offense.

Douglas has been finding his groove over the last couple of weeks. One has to wonder if making Maye the starting quarterback will benefit him as well.

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Patriots’ x-factor player for Week 3 matchup with the Jets

Who is the x-factor player for the Patriots in Week 3?

As the New England Patriots get set to take on the division rival New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night, it’s time to take a look at this week’s x-factor.

For those that need a refresher, we did this series last year, where we took a look at the matchups across the board and identified one player that could swing the tide in the Patriots’ favor with a good performance.

It might not always be the best player on the team, but it’s a player who could have a profound impact on the matchup. This week’s x-factor in the Week 3 matchup for the Patriots is none other than second-year receiver DeMario Douglas.

The Patriots have only targeted Douglas four times this season, which is surprising. After his breakout season last year, there were expectations that Douglas would be a focal point on offense.

But that hasn’t been the case with offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s run-heavy scheme. His size limits him in those scenarios as the team opted for better blockers like KJ Osborn or Ja’Lynn Polk.

The offense needs explosiveness, and for the most part, a lot of that will come from additions to the unit in 2025 and beyond. However, they have one player on the team in Douglas, who fits the bill to some degree.

Last season, he led the receivers with an average separation of 3.3 yards per route, which was better than some of the more popular receivers like Tank Dell, Chris Godwin and Michael Pittman—and slightly less than Ja’Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill and Amon-Ra St. Brown.

If the Patriots wish to win this week, they’ll need to unlock that level from Douglas once more. He was also high in cushion given, meaning teams were respecting his speed. By failing to utilize him, teams can crowd the box and make things more difficult.

This week, Douglas needs to not only be a focal point, but the focal point of the Week 3 offense. If he can create mismatches and get fed the ball, things will open up not only this week but for the remainder of the season.

We’ll find out for sure Thursday night against a potent defense primed for a big week if the Patriots remain one-dimensional.

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Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett responds to DeMario Douglas’ frustrations

Jacoby Brissett admits he’s glad DeMario Douglas is frustrated

New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett responded to wide receiver DeMario Douglas’ frustrations following the Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Douglas did not speak to the media following Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. However, he did speak to the media on Monday, and he was clearly frustrated after having no receptions and no targets in the matchup.

Brissett had a difficult game on Sunday, recording 149 passing yards and a touchdown on the afternoon. The struggles were even more evident in the second half with him throwing for 32 total yards.

The quarterback spoke on the “WEEI Afternoon Show” and empathized with Douglas, as transcribed by Boston.com’s Conor Ryan.

“It’s the second game of the year. We’re still trying to figure out our identity and how this thing is going to play out as far as the offense. It’s a long season ahead,” said Brissett. “I told him, man, there’s 15 games left … it’s a lot of football ahead of us. Obviously, we’re still getting better as a whole, individually, as an offense. I’m glad he’s frustrated, but I’ll see how he uses the frustration the right way.”

Douglas is one of the Patriots’ most dynamic receivers. So they need Brissett to forge a connection with him on the field. The Patriots built a run-first identity over the first two games of the season.

However, they need to find more balance with the passing game as the competition gets tougher.

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DeMario Douglas opens up after no targets in Patriots’ Week 2 loss

No receptions and no targets for DeMario Douglas in Week 2

New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas appeared upset following the team’s 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

It’s no surprise that he’d be frustrated after losing in a game where he had no catches and zero overall targets. His performance was a microcosm of the entire wide receiver unit as they only had three catches for 19 yards combined.

Tight end Hunter Henry had a team-high eight catches for 109 yards, while Ja’Lynn Polk led all receivers with 12 yards and a touchdown. Douglas refused to talk to the media immediately following the game.

MassLive’s Karen Guregian wrote:

He flipped through his phone, and then just sat alone with his thoughts.

Having no catches, and zero targets likely had something to do with his demeanor. But it’s hard to say for sure since Douglas refused to talk with the media after the game.

The wide receiver did manage to speak to the media on Monday, citing his frustrations about being underutilized. He is determined to make an impact, as transcribed by the Boston Herald’s Zack Cox.

“Look at the film, you can tell,” Douglas said, when asked if he felt like he was running good routes. “But things happen for a reason, and when my time is ready, I’m gonna show it.”

The Patriots need to get their wide receivers more involved in the offensive scheme. They are clearly a run-heavy team in 2024, which isn’t a bad thing. But if they want to score more points, they will have to push the ball downfield to make plays, too.

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DeMario Douglas eager to silence critics of Patriots’ receivers

DeMario Douglas is keeping receipts

DeMario Douglas is keeping receipts of everyone doubting the New England Patriots wide receiver room.

When speaking with media members, he noted having added motivation after seeing one Instagram post rank the Patriots’ receivers unit last out of the 32 teams in the NFL.

“That’s when I knew it would be a dawg world,” Douglas said with a smile, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Douglas was one of the bright spots for the team’s wide receivers unit last season. He burst onto the scene as a rookie, recording 49 catches for 561 yards. He showed he could spread the field with an average of 11.4 yards per reception.

The Patriots’ wide receivers group has a ton of potential with rookie second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk making an impact right out of the gates. Fourth-round pick Javon Baker is making noise, too. He had arguably the best highlight reel play at Sunday’s practice.

The group still has a lot to prove, but the potential is certainly there.

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Last year’s New England Patriots were the worst combination in pro sports: bad and boring. They ranked 30th in total offense, 28th in passing and tied for last in scoring. The result was a complete reset. Gone are long-time head coach Bill Belichick, and former first-round quarterback Mac Jones, who was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round pick.

In their place are new head coach Jerod Mayo, who hired Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator, and the quarterback tandem of veteran Jacoby Brissett and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. Eliot Wolf took over the de facto GM role from Belichick, and he stated there’ll be “more reliance on playing young players” this season. So, what does that mean for passing game?

Latest PFF receiver rankings not a good look for Patriots

The Patriots’ receivers clearly have something to prove in 2024

The New England Patriots’ receiving corps is not looked at favorably in a new ranking from Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema, who ranked the unit last out of 32 teams in the NFL.

The organization is returning its most productive wide receiver from 2023 in second-year player DeMario Douglas. Also returning is veteran wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, who is looking to bounce back after a difficult 2023 season. Douglas recorded 49 catches for 561 yards, while Smith-Schuster recorded 29 catches for 260 yards and a touchdown.

Kendrick Bourne will be returning as well, and he is looking to bounce back after suffering an injury at the end of October last year. He tallied 37 catches for 406 yards and three touchdowns before the injury.

The Patriots have a collection of wide receivers looking to prove themselves. While the situation might seem bleak presently, there are reasons to be optimistic for the future.

Sikkema wrote:

The team’s second- and third-highest-graded receivers in 2023 were Demario Douglas and Hunter Henry. Rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker should get a good amount of looks early on. At running back, New England brought in Antonio Gibson, who is a good pass-catcher.

Ultimately, this is a low-ceiling group for 2024. But the long-term outlook is decent.

It will be interesting to see how all of the receivers develop. New England certainly has young talent at their disposal. Nevertheless, it might make for a rocky 2024 season as the rookies continue to develop.