Patriots offense raises red flags as trusted wideout sees his role shrink fast

Although the initial reaction to the Patriots' decision to bring back Josh McDaniels for a third stint as offensive coordinator wasn't overwhelmingly positive, there was eventually a lot of optimism about what the experienced play-caller could do with an offense featuring the talent Mike Vrabel had added to the team.

That was particularly felt with Drake Maye and the receiving corps, especially with the addition of Stefon Diggs. But the most interest seemed to surround DeMario Douglas, a sixth-round draft pick in 2023 who burst on the scene immediately and became a household name in New England last season.

Because McDaniels was known for getting the best out of slot receivers throughout his career, there was a lot of hype about what he could make of Douglas, but we have yet to see that. Things looked good in Week 1, as Douglas caught a reception for a touchdown against the Raiders, only for him to become virtually nonexistent this past week against the Dolphins.

It has created a lot of concern about the receiver being phased out of the offense, and even analysts and members of the Boston media are growing worried, too.

Concerns about DeMario Douglas' usage in Josh McDaniels' offense are premature but warranted

In his latest article containing mailbag questions from Patriots fans, Boston Herald reporter Doug Kyed responded to concerns about Douglas' production by not exactly ending any speculation about him being phased out of the game plan.

"It might be too soon to say the Patriots are phasing him out of the offense, but it's certainly trending that way. Going deeper into the numbers, only 13.3% of his snaps have come on running plays. The Patriots, as a team, are running 33.6% of the time. So, that tells me that the new Patriots regime doesn't trust Douglas as a run blocker, and his size could be a factor there."

In this context, it seems a bit less concerning about what Douglas' future might hold. He's likely not going to be a good run blocker due to his size, so that, of course, will work against him.

But Boston.com's Khari A. Thompson made an even better point by reminding fans that McDaniels caters each game plan based on their opponents' weaknesses, so there's a good chance that Douglas hasn't been super involved just yet for that reason.

But that doesn't mean it will be that way all season long.

"Douglas seemed to have a strong training camp and was consistently working with the first-team, but his usage appears to have diminished during these first two games. Some of that may have to do with matchups, as different defenses call for different offensive approaches. The decrease in playing time and production has been noticeable."

As Thompson said, Douglas' decreased playing time is certainly noticeable, and it was a point reporters asked Drake Maye about ahead of Sunday's matchup with the Steelers.

The quarterback emphasized his desire to use Douglas more and wanting to include him in the game plans moving forward. Whether or not that happens, we will see, but it seems a bit premature to be too concerned just yet, especially considering how different the offense was from Week 1 to Week 2.

It's a good sign that Maye wants to include him more, and there's a good chance that happens when facing the right opponent. Size shouldn't be an issue, given the slot receivers that McDaniels has made into superstars in the past, but it will be something to monitor as the season progresses.

We know the kind of player that Douglas can be, and he could become a go-to target for Maye if given more opportunities.

It will all depend on what kind of offense the Patriots choose to put out there on Sunday, and so far, it's hard to say what that will be just yet.

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