Pats Pulpit
It’s been nearly three years since the New England Patriots have two straight games. After a big Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins, Mike Vrabel’s team will have a chance to snap that streak — and begin protecting their home turf — with a matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
Naturally, our focus this week was on both of those games. For anything else not covered previously, let’s clean out the notebook. Welcome to this week’s edition of our Sunday Patriots Notes.
Drake Maye dropped back to pass on fourth-and-three on the Patriots first drive down in Miami. In a flash, wide receiver Stefon Diggs uncovered right in front of his quarterback for an easy first-down conversion.
While the 10-yard gain did not lead off any highlight videos, it was a play the Patriots likely envisioned when they signed Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract in the offseason. A case of the veteran receiver making life easier on his young quarterback.
“He’s a great teammate. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Maye said about the receiver. “He’s fire on game day, you see him. You see him even in practice, he wants to bring it, rightfully so. He thinks a lot of the guys around him, he wants to be a great teammate, he wants to bring the energy, he’s a leader, and he wants the ball.
“I’ve got to do my part of trying to get it to him more, and then from there, still being honest about throwing to the right guy. But getting him the football, and he’s trying to do all the right things and showing up every day, so yeah, pretty cool.”
Through two games, Diggs’ 10 receptions for 89 yards looks like rather modest production on the stat sheet. But it’s plays like the fourth-down completion in Miami that has showed his early worth, especially as he’s played just 54 percent of New England’s offensive snaps as Diggs continues to work back from a torn ACL he suffered last October.
And while Maye made note that he’d like to get Diggs the ball more and more — despite the receivers 10 receptions and 12 targets being team highs — that is not a mandate from the four-time Pro Bowler.
“I haven’t heard Stef say one thing about needing the ball ever. That would surprise me if he did,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. “Every skilled player wants the ball, wants to help the team win the best they can. But Stef, whether he’s out there blocking, running routes, catching the ball — whatever it is — he does his job the best he can.”
As New England hopes the production and number of impact plays will continue to grow as the season progresses, the 31-year old has already made his mark in helping establish the team culture.
McDaniels praised the veteran for his intense leadership style and energy every day, while wide receivers coach Todd Downing, who spent...
