Pats Pulpit
The performance of their wide receiver group has been one of the pleasant surprises of the New England Patriots’ 2025 season, and in the divisional playoff round it looked good once again. Kayshon Boutte and Stefon Diggs again led the way, with the former catching three passes for 75 yards and a touchdown and the latter hauling in four passes for 40 yards and a score.
Pending Mack Hollins’ return from injured reserve, Boutte and Diggs were the clear top duo on the depth chart against the Houston Texans. They were not the only wideouts to make their impact felt, though: DeMario Douglas maximized his opportunities as well.
The fifth option on the depth chart in terms of snaps, Douglas played 17 of 65 possible snaps (26%). And yet, his 2.57 yards per route run finished only behind Boutte’s 2.59 on the day: he hauled in both of his targets for a combined 36 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-1 in the first quarter.
Douglas has been a package player throughout the season, and through 19 games ranks seventh on the team with 34 receptions. He did, however, score four combined touchdowns gain 486 yards. His 1.89 yards per route run and 14.3 yards per catch are second and third, respectively, among the team’s regular pass catchers, showing how he has made the most of a comparatively limited role.
“That just goes back to training camp, goes back to the OTAs,” said head coach Mike Vrabel on Monday. “Pop has really done a nice job in being ready to go. And I know that, like every other receiver, they wish that they had more snaps and they wish they had more targets. By taking advantage of the ones that he gets, which he has done, we have to continue to find ways to get him to the football and have him help us. So, I think that that’s just a confidence that’s been built up through training camp and the offseason.”
Here is our full snap count report from the Patriots’ 28-16 win at Gillette Stadium.
Total snaps: 65 | Time on the field: 30:37 | *denotes starter
QB Drake Maye* (65; 100%), LT Will Campbell* (65; 100%), LG Jared Wilson* (65; 100%), C Garrett Bradbury* (65; 100%), RG Mike Onwenu* (65; 100%), RT Morgan Moses* (63; 97%), WR Kayshon Boutte* (54; 83%), TE Hunter Henry* (47; 72%), RB Rhamondre Stevenson* (40; 62%), WR Stefon Diggs* (36; 55%), RB TreVeyon Henderson (25; 38%), FB/TE Jack Westover* (23; 35%), WR Kyle Williams (22; 34%), WR Efton Chism III (22; 34%), TE Austin Hooper (22; 34%), WR DeMario Douglas (17; 26%), OT/TE Thayer Munford Jr. (17; 26%), DT/FB Khyiris Tonga (2; 3%)
The Patriots relied on their usual personnel against Houston, with the expected top options at the skill positions all leading their respective groups. In Rhamondre Stevenson’s case, that might come as a surprise given that he missed time in the first half with an eye...
