Patriots
“I’m making an attempt to make it a 75-25 ball, not a 50-50.”
Even earlier than Mac Jones and the Patriots took the sector earlier than a determined remaining drive within the fourth quarter, Demario Douglas believed.
Not simply in his quarterback and offense’s potential to orchestrate a game-winning drive and stave off what was a crushing collapse within the closing minutes of play.
But additionally in his personal potential to depart his mark on a sputtering offense in determined want of playmakers.
Granted, that confidence was brewing lengthy earlier than the 22-year-old receiver strapped on his shoulder pads forward of Sunday’s showdown in opposition to the Buffalo Payments.
“I listened to a track earlier than the sport, it was loopy,” Douglas famous postgame. “Rod Wave — ‘Shock The World.’ And he stated, ‘Look how we shocked the world / Look how he overcame.’”
The pregame playlist proved to be prophetic, given each New England’s stunning 29-25 comeback win over the once-presumed prime canine within the division — in addition to Douglas’ personal breakout efficiency because the staff’s sought-after spark plug.
“It’s a blessing,” Douglas stated after New England’s victory over Buffalo. “It’s a blessing to return again and play for the staff. I felt like this recreation, all of us play for one another. There was no ‘I’. All of us performed for one another till the top, play for 60 minutes.”
Jones and his fourth-quarter heroics on New England’s final drive will deservedly draw many of the headlines from Sunday’s victory.
However after weeks of offensive ineptitude, New England’s fourth-quarter rally was simply the cherry on prime of a much-needed rebound efficiency from that unit.
With a reworked offensive line maintaining Jones upright and Invoice O’Brien dialing up extra RPOs (run-pass choices) and pre-snap motions, New England’s offense managed to accrue 364 complete yards of offense.
After not reaching the crimson zone in 29 straight possessions earlier this month, six of New England’s 9 drives in opposition to Buffalo made it throughout the Payments’ 20-yard line.
Cross safety looms giant within the wake of New England’s cross offensive output in current reminiscence. But it surely must also not come as a lot of a shock that New England reeled off a number of chunk-yardage performs with Douglas incomes an uptick in reps.
With JuJu Smith-Schuster dominated out for the second straight recreation because of a concussion, Douglas — again after lacking Week 6 because of a concussion — served as one in every of Jones’ most dependable targets and delivered.
Via the air, he reeled in 4 of his six targets for 54 yards. His lone dashing play of the afternoon went for 20 yards — the longest achieve on the bottom for the Patriots all season lengthy. He additionally drew two penalties, one in every of which put New England in a first-and-goal scenario within the remaining minute of play.
“I play with confidence,” Douglas stated. “ I don’t need that first particular person to sort out me. … The ball is coming my means? I have to make that play. I’m making an attempt to make it a 75-25 ball, not a 50-50.”
Even on particular groups, Douglas made his presence felt with a 25-yard pickup off a punt return. New England began at Buffalo’s 43-yard line due to Douglas’ efforts within the second quarter, finally resulting in a subject aim from Chad Ryland.
New England’s offense is probably not as impotent because the dysfunctional unit we noticed wrestle to even achieve first downs earlier this 12 months in opposition to the Jets, Saints, and Raiders.
However the Patriots are nonetheless severely missing with regards to high-end expertise and velocity, particularly amongst its crop of receiving choices for Jones. New England’s motions helped open issues up in opposition to Buffalo, however Douglas is likely one of the fewer performs on this roster able to creating separation and increasing performs due to his personal ability set.
“Large spark,” Kendrick Bourne stated of Douglas’ recreation. “Beginning the sport [well] on sure bubbles and YAC-ing [yards after catching] the ball, operating the ball properly.
“Simply happy with that man. The way in which he got here again from harm and was simply locked in, it was good to see. … [Bill O’Brien] places us in place to make the play and we will make it higher by actually being locked into the small print of it. You see plenty of these YACs and Mac being on the identical web page, you’ll see lots [more] of these YAC performs.”
Sunday’s victory over the Payments might not sign {that a} second-half surge sits on the horizon for a Patriots staff nonetheless within the midst of a 2-5 begin.
However a win remains to be a win, and Sunday’s displaying supplied up hope that New England’s offense has a lot extra to provide within the weeks forward.
If New England needs to stack performances like this, Douglas must hold getting the decision in essential junctures of a recreation.
“I’m simply glad to be on the sector,” Douglas stated. “I missed final week and coming again this week? It’s a blessing. And getting the dub? God is sweet.”
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