Patriots offense raises red flags as trusted wideout sees his role shrink fast

"Although the initial reaction to the Patriots' decision to bring back Josh McDaniels for a third stint as offensive coordinator wasn't overwhelmingly positive, there was eventually a lot of optimism about what the experienced play-caller could do with an offense featuring the talent Mike Vrabel had added to the team. That was particularly felt with Drake Maye and the receiving corps, especially with the addition of Stefon Diggs."

"Because McDaniels was known for getting the best out of slot receivers throughout his career, there was a lot of hype about what he could make of Douglas, but we have yet to see that. Things looked good in Week 1, as Douglas caught a reception for a touchdown against the Raiders, only for him to become virtually nonexistent this past week against the Dolphins."

"It might be too soon to say the Patriots are phasing him out of the offense, but it's certainly trending that way. Going deeper into the numbers, only 13.3% of his snaps have come on running plays. The Patriots, as a team, are running 33.6% of the time. So, that tells me that the new Patriots regime doesn't trust Douglas as a run blocker, and his size could be a factor there."

Josh McDaniels' return as Patriots offensive coordinator generated optimism given new offensive talent including Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs. DeMario Douglas emerged as a breakout sixth-round receiver in 2023 and initially contributed a Week 1 touchdown, but saw a sharp drop in involvement against Miami. Media and analysts have raised concerns about Douglas' usage amid fears he may be phased out of the offense. Snap data show only 13.3% of Douglas' snaps occurred on running plays while the team runs 33.6% overall, suggesting limited trust in him as a run blocker and possible size-related limitations.

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