Due to a minor hand injury, wide receiver DeMario Douglas of the New England Patriots has not been cleared for contact yet this summer. That didn’t stop him from making an effort to be totally committed.
Douglas attempted to enter the pitch covertly on Friday while sporting a regular white jersey, following a week of wearing a red non-contact jersey. The Patriots’ medical staff realised this quickly.
Douglas made a joke on Saturday, saying, “I tried to come out in the white jersey but they were like ‘No.'” “But it’s all for the best.”
Although it is forbidden for New England’s defenders to communicate with Douglas, it is likely that they would find it difficult to do so even if they were permitted. Since his return, the elusive receiver has demonstrated his trademark quickness, which has significantly eased the Patriots offense’s workload.
Jerod Mayo explained, “It’s just the quickness and the speed.” “Despite being a smaller man, he is quite elusive. His intense competitive nature, in my opinion, is what truly drives the offensive in terms of vigour.
Douglas looks prepared to step it up this season after being one of the few shining lights in New England’s passing attack the previous year. A portion of it is related to seasoned quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who the wide receiver has established a point to sit next to in the offensive meeting rooms.
He’s been playing for a moment now. He is aware. He was a player for Tom Brady. He’s teaching us the game and has a wealth of knowledge about it,” Douglas remarked. “You see this? I sit next to him in the meeting room, so he says. Do you see this? On the pitch, it becomes simpler as we break it down.
The pair connected on two touchdowns on Thursday’s practice, the first coming on a slot fade down the field before Douglas lost his man entirely on a post for another touchdown. It appears that the work done in the meeting room is paying off on the field.
The pair could have done even more damage over the last few days, but Brissett overthrew the 5-foot-8 Douglas on multiple occasions — something the quarterback is still adjusting too.
“Obviously, I got to learn how to throw to a little shorter guy a little bit more,” Brissett said Friday. “His explosiveness, what he can do in stretching the field obviously is a weapon for us. And building that chemistry. He’s a guy that loves football. You can tell. He pops up off on tape, no pun intended. It’s a lot of fun having him in the huddle. His energy is contagious.
“On Friday, he undoubtedly took a few pieces out of the defence.” Everything will depend on how the games play out, the defence, and other factors. He is capable of extending the field. This year, we’re attempting to extract as much as we can from each player.
Douglas wants to score his first career touchdown in 2024 and maintain his health because he will probably soon no longer wear the red non-contact jersey. Douglas, a ball carrier who missed three games the previous season, is learning when to give up to avoid unwarranted hits.
“I feel like I could do anything in college,” he said. But now that I’m in a different league, I have to know when the adventure is coming to an end.
And he will be ready when, after a protracted search, he eventually locates the end zone.
Douglas laughed and remarked, “I’m getting ready for this year, for sure. I’ve been stacking up [celebrations] since last year.”
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