The New England Patriots posted their highest point tally in four years during Sunday’s 42-13 win over the Carolina Panthers, but not everyone on the offense touched the ball.
Demario Douglas’ role continued to evaporate in Week 4. The third-year wide receiver played just eight snaps on Sunday without drawing a single target from Drake Maye.
However, Douglas wasn’t bothered by his limited involvement. The 24-year-old was still happy because the Patriots prevailed, courtesy of MassLive’s Mark Daniels.
“Just to help do something to help get the W, I feel good,” Douglas said. “I didn’t even touch the ball, and I’m excited we got the W. I’m in a good state of mind. I’ve got my team behind my back, and they’ve got my back. We’re getting closer together, and we’re starting to play like it. It showed today.”
It won’t show up on the box score, but Douglas helped tight end Hunter Henry score a 31-yard touchdown by blocking two Panthers defenders. Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel noticed the wide receiver’s off-ball effort.
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“Douglas would have liked to have a couple extra catches today, but he also turned and blocked (as) Hunter Henry ran down the sidelines,” Vrabel said. “Nobody’s going to say it unless I say it. So those are the things that matter, not the guy catching the touchdown. That’s the easy part. The hard part’s the guy that didn’t get the ball thrown to him that turns immediately and blocks his guy, and we score from the 25-yard line.”
Douglas tallied a career-high 66 catches and 621 receiving yards last season, creating anticipation for a breakout year under Vrabel. The former sixth-round pick has instead taken a back seat, catching five of 13 targets for 13 yards and a touchdown through four games.
Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins played the lion’s share of New England’s snaps at wide receiver on Sunday, and rookie Kyle Williams participated in a season-high 14 plays despite seeing no targets. That didn’t deter Douglas from celebrating the team’s first home victory of the season.
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“It feels too good,” Douglas said. “I can’t stop smiling. It feels good to win.”
