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Stefon Diggs isn’t worried about touches, even though Drake Maye says he needs the ball more
"I’m here for whatever they need. I’ve been doing this for a long time."
On Wednesday, Drake Maye told Stefon Diggs that he needs to get the ball more.
Diggs is second on the team in targets (15) and tied for the lead in catches (13). He has caught all but two of the passes Maye has thrown his way. It hasn’t resulted in many explosive plays yet, as Diggs is averaging 8.6 yards per catch with his longest going for 16 yards.
But, the Patriots quarterback feels like he can do more to get the veteran receiver going.
“We try to put him in circumstances where he’s getting the ball and an option to get the ball on big plays. He had a big third down catch [during the Steelers game],” Maye said. “The first third down we had, I probably should have thrown it to him. Little things like that. We had a fourth down against Miami. He’s making plays, so he’s in positions on key downs to make plays. I’ve got full trust in him. He just keeps showing it every week.”
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Diggs, 31, is still feeling things out after his season was cut short by a torn ACL last season. Three games in with the Patriots, he says he’s feeling healthy. Catching the ball hasn’t been an issue. Gaining yards after the catch has been a struggle. He’s fourth on the team in both YAC and yards per game.
“I’ve been tackled a bunch now. I feel pretty comfortable out there,” Diggs said. “Like I said at the end of my first game, I had just missed being out there, so now that I’m kind of like I’m turning the key on that and being out there consistently, it’s just getting back to the feel of the game and each game is different.”
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Diggs said he’s focused on making the most of the touches he gets, instead of asking for more. He has been on the field for 54 percent of the Patriots’ offensive snaps, which is third on the team behind Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins.
“I’m here for whatever they need. I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Diggs said. “I’m a veteran. I’m healthy. Shoutout to God. It’s whatever they need me to do. I’m not going to bite off more than I can chew, or I’m not going to ask for anything.”
“It’s whatever they need. I’m going to just handle what’s in front of me,” he added. “I’ve got a rule of thumb: Eat what’s in front of you. Whatever they give you, take it, handle it with grace, and continue to push your teammates. That’s where I’m at at this point.”
The Patriots have been competitive in all three of their games so far, with each contest decided by a touchdown or less. Diggs feels that they could have gone 3-0, but instead turnovers doomed them twice leaving them with a 1-2 record.
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Mistakes can be frustrating, but they’re going to be part of the experience with this young group.
“The ball is getting spread around. You can kind of look at it as far as the numbers,” Diggs said. We’ve got players, we’ve got playmakers, we’ve got guys that can play at a very high level. You want to give guys some grace. We’re still a young team. Growing pains.”
“Things are going to happen out there. You’ve got to just roll with the punches. It’s still early. You can look at the top guys in the league right now. I’m pretty sure they’re trying to get the ball just as much as everybody else. You’ve got to roll with the punches, I think we’ll be just fine.”
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