New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots cruised to a 32-13 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 8, pushing their record to 6-2 on the season. Things are clicking on both sides of the ball for the Patriots, and on offense, one guy who continues to step up as a leader both on and off the field is wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
After getting signed to a three-year, $69 million contract by New England in free agency, Diggs was expected to come in and lead the team’s new-look wide receiver room. Sure enough, he’s quickly developed a strong rapport with second-year quarterback Drake Maye, which has helped the veteran pass catcher put up some strong numbers.
Against the Browns, Diggs didn’t have to do much, as he caught just three passes for 14 yards, but he also managed to haul in his first touchdown as a Patriot. Considering how it had been over a year since Diggs had found his way into the end zone, it’s clear that meant quite a bit to him.
There were some concerns about whether or not Diggs would buy into new head coach Mike Vrabel’s system, but he’s been a consummate professional to this point. In case anyone needed a reminder of that, a new clip of Diggs’ leadership skills came to light in a mic’d-up video of Josh McDaniels, which was posted on the team’s YouTube account.
“You alright? Anything you want me to echo?” Diggs said to McDaniels on the sideline during the Pats’ win over the Browns. “We goin’ … Tell me anything you want. Just checking on you.”
Considering all that Diggs has accomplished during his time in the NFL, his voice carries a bit more weight in the locker room. Diggs knows that, and the fact that he is making himself available to help push whatever message the coaching staff is sending to the rest of the team is extremely encouraging.
Diggs may not be putting up gaudy numbers every single week, but as long as the Patriots win, that’s all that matters. The team will look to win its sixth-straight game in Week 9 when it squares off against the Atlanta Falcons.
