Demario Douglas' takeover of the three branches of football government continued against the Washington Commanders, albeit with mixed results.
The rookie Douglas has arguably been the New England Patriots' most consistent offensive weapon this season, putting up 277 yards on 24 receptions across his debut. With sophomore standout Marcus Jones on a New England injured reserve that resembles a Pro Bowl roster, Douglas has been granted the return duties for the rest of the season and hopes to continue his ball-handling takeover.
“I really need to harp on my punt returning for sure,” Douglas said this week. “I feel like that’s what I need to work on, just getting vertical, things like that. Get what I can get, (if I can’t) get nothing, get down.”
Douglas had a team-best 55 yards on five receptions in the Patriots' latest defeat, a 20-17 shortcoming against the Commanders on Sunday. But Douglas was no stranger to the special teams cesspool that swallowed some of the Patriots' niche stars (i.e. Brendan Schooler) on Sunday, losing two yards on two punt returns.
Both of Douglas' returns came in the final period as New England (2-7) was trying to erase a late three-point deficit. An attempt to run across the field proved disastrous as Washington swallowed him up for a loss of two before another return yielded nothing, helping seal the hosts' fate.
Field position proved especially costly for the Patriots on Sunday: none of their drives over the final half-hour started beyond their own 25-yard-line and their last three all began inside their own 10.
“I just need to move forward, get the five yards,” Douglas said in hindsight. “I was just trying to make a big play. Every play can’t be a big play.”
With the 2023 Patriots' fate all but sealed, Douglas will have plenty of chance to make those big plays in relatively consequence-free settings. The Liberty alum perhaps couldn't have asked for a better mentor for his potential takeover, as he's working with receiving/returning coach Troy Brown over the course of his maiden NFL voyage.
Brown is one of the most tenured and accomplished names in Patriots history, standing as a prominent face of the franchise's first glory days. Over his 15-year career spent entirely in Foxborough, Brown's name was a mainstay in the receiving and returning box score and he even took several snaps on defense before all was said and done.
Douglas likely won't complete the triangle, at least not this season, but looks forward to leaning in on Brown's expertise.
“Coach Troy, he helped me build my confidence back there, get more confident catching the ball back there,” Douglas said. “I had some players also help me out. That’s why I say I got a good support with my teammates trusting me back there. I can say that trust helps me and get helps build my confidence.”
Douglas' next chance to showcase that confidence lands on Sunday morning when the Patriots battle the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt (9:30 a.m. ET, NFL Network).
More must-reads: