All eyes were on the Patriots' offense in the season-opening game against the Raiders on Sunday, with hopes that we would see the start of the second-year jump of Drake Maye now that an upgraded group finally surrounds him. From the offensive line to the receiving corps, the excitement was palpable for the start of the Mike Vrabel era, until it became apparent they wouldn't live up to the hype this week.
The wide receivers, in particular, weren't the star of the show like we thought, but we were able to see the New England debut of Stefon Diggs, even if it wasn't the explosive type of performance fans were likely hoping for.
Because of that and his history of taking issue with limited receptions and dealing with team losses, there was some speculation that we were already going to see the demise of the Diggs experiment start to show cracks already.
But instead, he continues to show exactly why the Mike Vrabel regime believed he was the right guy, with a mature attitude that will inevitably rub off on the young receiving corps.
Stefon Diggs is a completely different player with the Patriots than he was with the Bills
When speaking to reporters immediately after the disappointing loss, Diggs had nothing but positive things to say about how the team can move forward and his confidence in the team.
It's early, and there is plenty of time for things to change, like his attitude, but early signs prove that Diggs is exactly the leader and mentor the young offense needs, and not the problematic guy the Patriots grew to know during his time in Buffalo.
Stefon Diggs handled his own today.
— Pats-Planet.com 🪐 (@patsplanetmedia) September 7, 2025
“I feel like we’re a good team. We got to earn the right to win.” #NEPats pic.twitter.com/nSG5eHWX8t
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Considering the headlines that came out of the Week 1 loss, the Patriots need more players to reflect the attitude that Diggs has to ensure the culture doesn't shift negatively moving forward.
Mike Vrabel already spoke about this being the first test of what they're trying to accomplish in the locker room and the hope (of course) is that nothing will be changed after just one loss. The Patriots are not in a position to get hung up on a loss when more are expected throughout the season.
They aren't going to be a legitimate team competing for a playoff spot despite what some commentators and fans might have already predicted could be a possibility this year. So what they should be focusing on is improvement, and we are yet to see that.
Next week would be a great time to show that.