After suffering a 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium in Week 3, the New England Patriots bounced back in a big way against the Carolina Panthers in Week 4 as prized offseason acquisition Stefon Diggs made his presence felt in New England's comfortable victory.
Entering Week 4, Diggs had reeled in 13 of the 16 targets thrown his way for 112 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. While Diggs is still looking for his first trip to the end zone as a member of the Patriots, he put to rest any concerns about whether he is still capable of being a No. 1 receiver against the Panthers with six receptions, on seven targets, for 101 yards.
Diggs Establishes Himself as New England's Top WR Option in Week 4
Following an ACL injury that forced Diggs to miss the bulk of the 2024 season while he was a member of the Houston Texans, the two-time All-Pro looked like his old self against the Panthers. That is a welcome sight for Mike Vrabel and New England's coaching staff after the franchise signed Diggs to a three-year, $69 million deal this offseason.
As simple as it sounds, all the Patriots needed to do was to look in his direction a bit more. Diggs nearly matched the number of targets he received in Weeks 2 and 3 in this matchup, and the production speaks for itself. With a second-year QB in Drake Maye running the offense, seeing his rapport on the field with Diggs continue to improve will only make this offense a greater threat as the season moves forward.
Entering Week 4, Diggs had an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 66.5, which was squarely in the middle of the league's 82 eligible wide receivers. With this performance, though, those numbers should only improve. After recording 100+ receptions from 2020 through 2023 as a member of the Buffalo Bills, the former Maryland Terrapins standout looks to be well on his way toward crossing that plateau again if he can stay healthy and in the lineup for the remainder of the season.
Diggs and Maye finding this connection in Week 4 could not have come at a better time for this Patriots offense. The lack of production out of the WR room has been noticeable through three games. Of New England's top six receivers through three games played, only two players, Diggs and Kayshon Boutte, are actually wide receivers. The other four were tight ends Austin Hooper and Hunter Henry, who actually led the team in receiving yards entering Sunday, and running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and rookie TreVeyon Henderson.
A reliable WR1 can make life on a young signal-caller much easier. With Diggs and Maye seemingly finding that connection against Carolina, the hope has to be that these two become an even more dangerous duo for opposing defenses to contend with.