FOXBORO, Mass. — Demario Douglas was the darling of Patriots training camp. The rookie receiver improved every day, and carried that success into a solid NFL debut last week.
Well, Sunday night saw Douglas land in Bill Belichick’s doghouse for the first time.
The sixth-round pick didn’t play a single offensive snap after fumbling late in the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins. Douglas picked up a first down after catching a short pass from Mac Jones, but coughed up the ball while being tackled from behind by Bradley Chubb.
Outside of returning punts after Marcus Jones got injured, Douglas had zero role in New England’s deflating 24-17 loss at Gillette Stadium. During a postgame news conference, Jones shared his message for Douglas when asked about the rookie’s benching.
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“Yeah, I think Pop (Douglas), obviously, a young player and just trying to keep him encouraged,” said Jones, who himself committed a bad turnover in the second half. “Obviously, one of my close buddies. So it’s going to happen. Young players, you know, there’s going to be mistakes. But for him, it’s a learning experience for all of us.
“And myself included with the interception. You can’t have the turnovers. Got to work on it, address the situation, and then get better at it. So for him, you know, I told him, just keep your head up and, you know, just practice every day holding onto the ball, people hitting at it, things you can do to get better.”
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It was a different story when Belichick was asked about Douglas. The Patriots head coach got in testy exchanges with reporters, repeatedly refusing to answer the questions as asked.
That’s unfortunate because Belichick’s decision to bench Douglas deserves to be questioned. The Patriots could’ve used his speed and playmaking ability while trying to come back against Miami, and instead ran with two tight ends for much of the night. Douglas would’ve given New England a better chance to win, plain and simple.
That said, Douglas hardly is the first young Patriots player to be taught a harsh lesson after fumbling in a game. We’ll just have to wait and see how he responds.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
