FOXBORO — The New England Patriots might be ready to add some 'Pop' back into their offense for their upcoming Week 15 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Demario Douglas, who has missed New England's past two games due to a head injury, has cleared concussion protocol. According to coach Bill Belichick, Douglas' appears set to return to the field on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.
"He's cleared the protocol," Belichick told reporters on Friday morning. "We'll see how it goes today ... but, assuming no setbacks, he should be available."
Douglas suffered the injury while attempting to return a punt early in the fourth quarter of New England's Week 12 loss to the New York Giants. He was essentially clotheslined by Giants linebacker Cam Brown. Douglas landed hard on the turf, causing him to be immediately removed from the game for head injury evaluation. He was promptly ruled out of the game and had not seen the filed until he returned to practice on Wednesday.
Since joining the Pats as a sixth-round (No. 210 overall) selection in April's draft, Douglas has become one of the lone bright spots in an otherwise dimly-lit Patriots offense. The Liberty product has compiled 410 receiving yards on 36 catches. Following the season-ending injury to cornerback/punt returner Marcus Jones, Douglas also assisted in the return game. The 23-year-old ran back 11 punts for 56 yards, his longest going for 25.
Unfortunately, Douglas' production has bene stunted by injury — specifically those of a cranial nature. He missed New England's Week 6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders due to a concussion, before being sidelined for the team's Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and their Week 14 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers. With New England sitting at 3-10 —not only last place in both the division and the conference, but also eliminated from playoff contention — Douglas' history with head injuries may give the Pats pause when deciding to insert him into the lineup against the defending Super Bowl champions.
Still, the Patriots' coaching staff must recognize that Douglas' shiftiness and speed make him one of the most explosive playmakers on the roster. As such, he can offer a significant upgrade to their gameplan on offense. Despite his 5-8, 180-pound frame, he is most effective out of the slot in short yardage. In order to compensate for the usual height differential with his opponent, he has developed a knack of anticipating defenders attacking him — a strategy which has served him well to date. However, he also has the skill set to evades tacklers when he has the ball in his hands in open space. As a result, the rookie's acceleration and speed may be essential to helping Bailey Zappe and the Pats offense put the Chiefs on their heels early —especially if their defense mistakenly plays him in soft coverage. With KC's defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's penchant for deploying the blitz, Douglas has both the quickness and precision to be a productive target for Zappe in Week 15.
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