When the New England Patriots needed a big-time wide receiver to help Drake Maye, they rolled the dice with a bit of a risky signing. And so far, spending all that money on Stefon Diggs hasn't done much to help the offense.
Through three weeks, the veteran pass-catcher has hauled in just 13 receptions on 15 targets for 112 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. He has only topped 40 yards once, and he has yet to draw more than seven targets in a game. That's why his quarterback is looking forward to getting him more involved in the offense.
Drake Maye Wants to Get Stefon Diggs Going
“Got full trust in him," Maye said of Diggs. "He just keeps showing it every week. You just try to get him the ball more. I told him that, you know, today.”
To be fair, he's coming off a major injury, and he hasn't even been out there for more than 60 percent of the snaps in every game so far. He's third in snaps behind Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins, and that should only ramp up as the season goes by.
Also, it's not like everybody's eating in the receiving corps. No Patriots wideout has topped the 40-yard mark since Diggs had 57 receiving yards in Week 1, and Josh McDaniels needs to clean things up all over the offense.
Stefon Diggs Won't Complain About His Role
Diggs' character and reputation precede him, and he's never been a fan of not being heavily involved in the game plan. Fortunately for the Patriots, it seems like he's finally more mature, and he won't complain about his lack of touches:
“Comparison is a thief of joy. I can’t really think about what’s going on around me. I’ll be cheering for my guys. I always clap for everyone around me, even if it’s not for me,” Diggs said, per SB Nation. “I pretty much have always been that way. Even if you do want more, whatever’s on your plate, you’ve got to eat it. I never want to fall into the trap of focusing on something else and not eating food in front of me."
All in all, the Patriots offense is still averaging the seventh-most passing yards per game (245.7), but with just 20.0 points scored per game (tied for 21st in the league), they might want to use their proven star with steady hands more often in the endzone. That should be the case in Week 4 when they host the Carolina Panthers.