FOXBOROUGH, Mass - Before he took the field on Sunday, Demario Douglas had one song playing as he prepared for the tough battle ahead.
And that song proved to be an essential message for the rookie receiver, who used it as motivation throughout the game. He sat at his locker listening to "Shock Da World," by Rod Wave.
And he even proved to himself based on his performance that he "can play."
"He says oh look how we shock the world. Look how we overcame the doubters and believe," Douglas explained.
And he along with the New England Patriots did just that, defeating the Buffalo Bills 29-25 at Gillette Stadium in a crucial divisional matchup.
Coming back after missing last week's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders with a concussion, Douglas looked like he didn't miss a beat and was a large part of the reason the team managed to get the win.
The rookie receiver finished with four receptions for 54 receiving yards along with one rush for 20 yards. And his footwork and skill set shined, dodging defenders and making diving catches in moments when it mattered.
And when asked who he played for on Sunday, his answer was simple.
"My teammates, I played for them today. I didn't play for me. I played for my teammates," Douglas said. "They come every day to come work, and me coming in as a rookie, I gotta have that same mentality. This is a family. We got that family mentality. We all play together."
With that, his sole focus was on doing what he could to help his team.
"It's a blessing to come back and play for the team," Douglas said. "Feel like this game, we all played for each other. It was no 'I'. All played for each other till the end."
Yet, the Patriots record is still not where they want it to be and with that, Douglas isn't satisfied with this one good performance. He is determined to keep surprising everyone and proving any doubters wrong.
"I gotta stack days," Douglas said. "Next week, I got to come back with it. Every week, got to be the same mentality. Every week."
More must-reads: