After a slow start to his third season, New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas showed up and produced in a big way in Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints. Douglas, who has stuck to the script and played his part for the team all season long, finally got his opportunity to shine and proceeded to send a reminder of what he brings to the table.
The Patriots defeated the Saints 25-19 after Douglas scored their first touchdown on a 53-yard completion that he took to the house. Douglas finished the game with three receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. It’s worth mentioning that Douglas also had a 61-yard touchdown reception that was erased by an egregious pass interference call on Stefon Diggs.
If that penalty didn’t eliminate the play, Douglas was on pace to have a career game with four receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Although the play didn’t end up counting, this could be the turning point of the season for Douglas, who needed a game like this to get himself back on track within the offense, a sentiment which he shared postgame.
“I felt like I needed this. It feels good. It feels good to win and play for the team,” Douglas said after his performance.
Week 6 Was Turning Point Pats WR DeMario Douglas Needed This Season
Although this was the first big game for Douglas in the box score this season, he has still been a contributor on the field with his blocking to help his teammates gain more yards and work their way into the end zone, like he did for Hunter Henry in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers.
Douglas’ on-field production, despite how it looks on the box score, has caught the eye of head coach Mike Vrabel, who said during his postgame press conference that the wideout does a lot of the “dirty work” for the offense that might not be as noticeable to the fan watching the game.
“There’s a lot of things that go into an offense that a lot of us aren’t going to see or show up," Vrabel stated. "Some of the dirty work and some of the clean-out routes, or guys finishing on the third level to help guys gain extra yards. It’s just a testament to these guys that understand, ‘I’m going to get my opportunity, I’m going to make the most of it.’ We need as many of those guys as we possibly can in all three phases.”
At the end of the day, this is a new season. Douglas understands his role, and he’s ready to prove it every week moving forward now.
“Stay patient, like a mountain. To get to the top of the mountain, you have to go through obstacles," Douglas said. "It’s definitely different for me not getting as much play time or stuff like that. But I felt like this was what I needed. It helps me play for the team. It takes all that selfish stuff out. It’s not a me game.”
This season, Douglas has 10 receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns while playing 34% of the offensive snaps for New England.