FOXBOROUGH - Is the best still to come in this Drake Maye/Sfefon Diggs relationship? And what would that mean for the Patriots?
Over the last two weeks, Maye has targeted Diggs 19 times and completed 16 of those passes for 259 yards. The Pats hadn't had a receiver go over the century mark in back-to-back games in the same season since Julian Edelman in 2019. That was so long ago, Bill Belichick was still considered a genius, Maye was probably getting amped up for his high school's homecoming game, and I had more black hair than gray.
Yet, the way Diggs sees it, there's still a lot of meat being left on the bone, including that first quarter slant that was slightly behind the 31-year-old and bounced off his hands and fell incomplete.
"That was my fault, Diggs said. "I ran the right route, the wrong way. So it wasn't on Drake. It was on me. So obviously, a lot - I always say obviously because I want to assume that y'all know already - but I think it's a lot of room for growth. Being on the same page isn't just a one-game thing. It's back in practice this week. We've got a long way to go. I look forward to it."
"He's easy to throw to," Maye said. "He's got great hands. He catches different ways with his body. He turns with the football and makes people miss very easily. It's very natural. You can just tell he's played receiver for a long time and played at a high level. So just trying to put in his vicinity, and he always says, 'I got you.' So, just trust that. And think it will just continue to build and build and try to get him in the end zone."
What Diggs has accomplished less than a year after tearing his ACL is fairly remarkable, creating all sorts of possibilities for this football team as he continues to gain strength and explosiveness. The Saints, who are next on the schedule, can't approach the veteran pass catcher as if he's one of three or four receivers out on the field. They are going to watch the tape, see the chemistry that's there, see the multiple routes and concepts Diggs is getting the ball on and say, "That man deserves more attention.' And if they don't, well, they're just asking for Maye to go to that well early and often, as he did in Buffalo.
"One game doesn't roll over to another," Diggs cautioned. "Everybody plays different. That's a game that's in our division (Buffalo). We'll play them again, and my last game won't count for the next game. So I don't look at it that way. Each week will look different, the complexion of the defense and the team. So I got to get back to work. I think it's more important. That's why I say flipping the page, just because every week is different. For me, I try to approach each week the same as far as my preparation, but the team is different. Who knows what they're going to do? They got different players. They've got helluva players over there in New Orleans. So I'm just trying to approach it the same way."
If the Saints do what I expect and shade coverage Diggs' way, the trickle-down effect could be real and spectacular. It will allow Maye to, as Mike Vrabel has repeatedly emphasized, throw the ball to the open receiver. That could mean more space for the likes of Kayshon Boutte, Pop Douglas (who is becoming more of a spot/gadget player), Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, and the tight ends. Or sneak the speedy TreVeyon Henderson into the flat on the same side and create an opportunity for run-after-catch. The possibilities are endless.
TERRELL'S TIME
Terrell Jennings finds himself in a quandary. The 24-year-old running back is looking at a possible elevation to the game-day roster this weekend, but at the same time, knowing that opportunity has been created by a season-ending injury to teammate Antonio Gibson (ACL).
"It's not something you can measure for because his pain is gonna be more anyway, because I still feel his pain as well," Jennings said. You never want to be hurt on the field... I mean, although I am excited to play, I still feel for my brother at the end of the day."
Gibson, who stood outside the locker room in Buffalo and greeted his teammates as they came off the field following their 23-20 victory, already had a heart-to-heart with the former Florida A&M Rattler.
"Yeah, you know me and Antonio are actually really close," he said. "That's my locker buddy as well. So, yeah, he told me that it's your time, man, just come on. It's time to go. And I took that hard because that's my brother. I'm with him every day, and to see him go down like that, it hurt me to the core. So like, I would be wrong if I don't go out there and do my job to uphold his standard."
When asked what he could bring to the offense, Jennings spoke a language I'm sure his coaches would love to hear.
"Just downhill physicality, like physical runs," he said. "That's what I bring to the table. Pass pro as well. I just try to protect my teammates, protect the quarterback, and protect the ball. So getting downhill, breaking tackles, that's what I like to bring to them."
"He's got a toughness to him," said Vrabel. "I think he's improved."
Vrabel didn't dismiss the notion that the Pats would continue to look for help at the position (and every other one as well). The day prior, they added Jashaun Corbin to the practice squad. Corbin led the UFL in rushing this past season, going for over 500 yards and four touchdowns on 91 carries for the San Antonio Brahmas (Yes, that's a real team). A Florida State product, Corbin has three games of NFL experience, all with the New York Giants in 2023.
The team also had Deon Jackson (Duke, most recently with the Lions) and Damien Martinez (University of Miami, drafted and cut by the Seahawks) in for workouts on Monday.