FOXBOROUGH - First things first, Stefon Diggs wants you to know he’s healthy.
“I'm great. I feel great. I got no issues,” he said. “I've been feeling pretty good, actually, and we had that by week, so I feel ready to fly around.”
Sunday’s game tape concurs. I don’t know that Diggs is moving as he did in Week 4 versus Carolina or at Buffalo the following game, but there’s nothing detectable in his gait to suggest - as some have - that the now 32-year-old wide receiver is injured/hurt. His production, however, has declined. Of that, there can be no argument.
- 2 catches, 20 yards at Cincinnati, November 23.
- 3 catches, 26 yards vs. the Giants, December 1
- 3 catches, 26 yards vs. Bills, December 14
For the Patriots’ best pass catcher to consistently make very little impact statistically is not what this offense needs, especially when the others around him are role players - albeit ones that have generally thrived when Drake Maye is cooking. But when Maye scuffles, and boy did he ever during the second half on Sunday, they needed more from Diggs, and he didn’t provide it.
Part of that was the scheme. The Bills were more aggressive in doubling Diggs at key junctures, something they had neglected a couple of months ago. But even without their top corner (Christian Benford missed the game with an injury), Buffalo also had no problem singling Diggs up with the likes of nickel corner Taron Johnson or rookie Maxwell Hairston or even, on occasion, Tre’Davious White. Diggs managed exactly one catch vs. man (on the 3rd down crossing route).
“They haven't done nothing they haven't done all year,” Diggs claimed. “So I'm gonna just continue to do my job. It's a team sport, so just gotta take things in stride. And, you know, control what I can control...”
Having better releases versus press coverage, or winning at the top of the route in man-to-man situations, sure would be helpful. Like the rest of the wideouts - as a group, they accounted for just 7 catches on Sunday - Diggs struggled to work off contact. It showed up early and stayed consistent right up until the final offensive snap. The Pats tried to run some sort of mesh concept on 4th down, and neither Hunter Henry nor Mack Hollins could get off press, while Diggs ended up stopping at about five yards and trying to work back with some sort of return route. He got manhandled right on the line of legal versus not legal (we’re not relitigating that). All in all, a tough ending to what ended up as a disappointing day.
“I'm trying to dominate,” Diggs said. “I'm trying to win.”
The test may be similar this weekend in Baltimore because, lo and behold, the Ravens have historically been a heavy man-to-man team as well. That group has played significantly better over the last half of the season, coinciding with the addition of safety Alohi Gillman, which then freed up the other safety, Kyle Hamilton, to assume his ‘Where’s Waldo?’ role and become a dangerous chess piece across the defense.
“I think Kyle Hamilton is one of the best players in the league,” Mike Vrabel said on Wednesday.
Now it’s not likely that Hamilton will spend a ton of time lined up across from Diggs - again, they move him around a ton - but it is fair to question if the Pats have enough explosiveness from their receivers to handle more and more teams leaning into man coverage against them. After dominating in this regard early in the season, the Pats have found the sledding much more difficult the last five weeks, with Maye 22nd in both passer rating and yards per attempt.
“We have to continue to run routes,” Vrabel said on Monday. “When we throw it, they have to be able to recognize man or zone quickly. Talk about expecting man and reacting to zone. Some of those routes change based on man or zone. But their job is to get open and create separation or have great spacing. Their job isn't to decide if they get the ball thrown to them or not. I know that that's difficult, but for every time that somebody's open, there's usually a time where somebody's not later on in the game. So, there's a balance that you wage, and we're going to keep using everybody, we're going to keep trying to highlight their strengths and the things that they do well, and give the quarterback time to find those guys.”
Of the available receivers, Diggs actually ended up third in snap count on Sunday, trailing both Kayshon Boutte and Hollins. It’s actually been trending this way over the past few weeks. While Vrabel has made references in the past to making sure his veterans stay fresh, a hat-and-t-shirt game against the Bills appears to be one that you’d be “saving” him for. Instead, he got just 26 plays.
“Shit, I don't know, for real,” Diggs said when asked about adjusting to a reduced number of snaps. “Like, just trying to get used to it. It kind of was the same kind of in the beginning of the year, too. I just try to take advantage of the opportunities I do get.
“And when I am out there, be a vessel. Be a positive force, rather than being any other way. So I'm adjusting to it, like, I just try to do what I'm asked, and then handle it the best way I can. I always want to be out there. I want to make plays, and I want to play at a high level. But we got a lot of skill guys. We got a lot of amazing players. So, you know, I'm just doing what I can.”
Would you like the coaching staff to ask you to do more, or have you do more?
“Hey man, that's up to y’all,” Diggs responded, smiling, before disappearing into the training room, just days away from the next test and an opportunity to reestablish himself as ‘the guy’ on a team that, in these moments, could use one.
