Stefon Diggs Couldn’t Be Difference-Making WR When Patriots Needed Him Most
Diggs struggled to step up for New England in the Super Bowl
The New England Patriots suffered a crushing 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday night. Several folks deserve their fair share of the blame for this defeat, but with the postseason run now in the rearview mirror, one of the bigger questions on offense revolves around Stefon Diggs’ sudden disappearance.
Despite being New England’s second choice in free agency last offseason, Diggs proved to be everything the team could have hoped for when it signed him to a three-year, $69 million contract. He racked up 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in the regular season, while also emerging as a key leader in the locker room.
The postseason was a different story for Diggs, though, as he caught just 14 passes for 110 yards and one touchdown over four games. Considering how Diggs seemed to show up when he was needed most on offense during the regular season, his disappearing act in the playoffs certainly hurt his team.
Now, it goes without saying that Diggs’ lack of production doesn’t fall solely on his shoulders. Drake Maye was wildly inconsistent in the playoffs, as he struggled to deal with the constant pressure he was under. Even when he had time to throw, though, receivers couldn’t get open for him.
The guy who was counted on to get open for Diggs in got-to-have-it situations was Diggs. The problem was that, with opposing defenses locking in on him, it made getting open more difficult. Diggs spent much of the playoffs either facing bracket coverage or going up against top cornerbacks like Devon Witherspoon, Patrick Surtain II and Derek Stingley Jr.
Through the first three games, though, it didn’t matter because the Patriots won. It was pretty clear in the Super Bowl that things were going to be different, but Diggs was part of an anemic offense that couldn’t get anything going until it was too late.
This was always the risk New England ran by employing a somewhat lacking wide receiver depth chart. When opposing defenses cranked up the pressure and sent more attention Diggs’ way, the offense faltered.
In the buildup to the Super Bowl, Diggs made it clear that he knew how important this game was for his legacy. Unfortunately, it will end up going down as a forgettable performance for the former All-Pro wide receiver. He will likely stick around with the Pats, but his struggles show that the front office needs to get Maye more help on offense this offseason.
