When Mike Vrabel was hired to succeed Jerod Mayo as the Patriots' head coach, he made it clear early on what improvements needed to be made to the roster immediately better, and he appeared to accomplish that through free agency and the draft.
Among the most dire needs was wide receiver, and although the team was unable to land the biggest free-agent players, they did bring in Stefon Diggs to serve as the WR1 the Patriots have lacked since Julian Edelman retired in 2021. There were questions about his performance, however, since he was returning from an ACL injury suffered the previous season. Although he was ready to go in Week 1, he hadn't performed like himself through the first few weeks of the season.
That changed against the Panthers last week, as Diggs recorded his first 100+-yard game of his Patriots career. It was exactly what fans had been hoping to see from the four-time Pro Bowler, and it looks like the timing of his jump in production wasn't a coincidence.
In fact, it might have been the plan all along.
Here is the all-22 cutups of Stefon Diggs's three explosive plays vs. the Panthers in his first 100-yard game with the #Patriots.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) September 29, 2025
1st play - backside crosser vs. man coverage with the frontside double-posts that occupy the single-high safety.
2nd play - inside dig route into… pic.twitter.com/exwGNOEaZD
Stefon Diggs' increased playing time doesn't look like a coincidence ahead of the Patriots' Week 5 matchup
Despite no coaches suggesting Diggs was on a snap count to start the year, it has been widely assumed that he was as a precaution due to his recovery from injury. That doesn't appear to be the case anymore, as he has seen a gradual increase in time on the field week to week, with the latest game being his best performance.
It might be fair to believe that was intentional, as the Patriots face the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday Night Football this week, a team with which Diggs spent four years and wreaked havoc on the Patriots' defense.
The hope is that he will do the same to his former team on Sunday, and perhaps a revenge game is in the works, especially since Drake Maye has made it clear that he wants Diggs to be more involved with the offense moving forward.
Drake Maye on #Patriots WR Stefon Diggs:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) September 28, 2025
“He looked a little faster than I thought. He looked pretty fast. I think he’s just getting more and more comfortable. He’s a great player with the ball in his hands. He’s a great leader on this team… I’m glad he’s a Patriot.” pic.twitter.com/FMHooZxL0B
Even if the Patriots aren't able to get a win against their most formidable opponent to date on the road, seeing Diggs continue to build upon last week's performance and Maye grow as a quarterback would be more than enough for fans to feel satisfied with where this team is going.
That's the most important part of the 2025 season, and the players have already shown they can grow and improve week to week, which includes Diggs.
That is what will ensure the Patriots are on the right path and will become a competitive team sooner rather than later. If it can officially kick off with Diggs getting revenge against his old team, then there's nothing sweeter than that.