Key Patriots Playmaker Frustrated With Role

A key New England Patriots playmaker is not too happy with his role early on in the 2024 NFL season.

Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver DeMario Douglas (3) warms up before a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots' offense was largely grounded in their overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon, and wide receiver DeMario Douglas was virtually invisible in the process.

Douglas wasn't targeted at all in the 23-20 defeat, and the second-year pass-catcher expressed his frustration afterward, calling his lack of targets "very challenging," via Zack Cox of The Boston Herald.

The 23-year-old went on to say that his route running has not been an issue.

“Pull up the film, you can tell,” Douglas said. “But things happen for a reason. Whenever my time’s ready, I’m going to show them.”

As for whether or not Douglas feels he has had the chance to display his talents?

“Last year,” he said. “Not yet this year.”

Indeed.

Douglas was one the only bright spots in the Patriots' offense in 2023, catching 49 passes for 561 yards. As a matter of fact, he led the team with 79 targets.

But 2024 has been a different story for the Liberty product.

Through the first two games of the season, Douglas has managed just two catches for 12 yards on three targets. That's certainly not what one would have expected given how prominent of a role he had in New England's offense last year.

Douglas is tied for sixth on the Pats in targets this season, with tight end Hunter Henry leading the way with 15 and free-agent addition K.J. Osborn pacing all Patriots wide outs with eight.

The 2023 sixth-round draft pick obviously still has plenty of time to carve out a role for New England, but let's be honest: the Pats' offense isn't all that great in general right now, especially through the air.

While the Patriots' rushing attack has actually been impressive, New England ranks just 29th in the NFL in passing offense through the first couple of weeks of 2024.

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