Despite a big win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the home opener, the New England Patriots' offense still isn't where they want to be. It's early in the season, but that also means it's the perfect time to address those issues.
Granted, they didn't have TreVeyon Henderson in the season opener, and they'll be without A.J. Brown for a while. That said, Josh McDaniels' unit may need more than names right now — it's a matter of sacrifice and execution.
Notably, that's why everyone on the offense should watch DeMario Douglas' biggest play of Week 2 on repeat. Despite being the lighter player on the team, the 5-foot-8, 185-pound wide receiver put his body on the line to block a couple of Steelers defenders, helping Henderson break loose for a 39-yard score.
DeMario Douglas showed the Patriots how to get it done
“That’s something we talked about all week, our 11 blocking their seven," Douglas said (h/t Boston.com). "I think it showed up in parts of the game when we really needed it. Any time you can see a receiver go down there and get some blocks in, it’s not the prettiest thing but we see it and he’ll definitely get praised for it, as well.”
Football is a complex game, but it usually comes down to physicality. The more guys they have moving bodies out of the way and creating lanes, the easier it'll be for guys like Henderson to find paydirt. It's as simple as that.
That was the Patriots' only offensive touchdown of the evening, though it was more than enough to take care of business against an ailing Pittsburgh Steelers offense. That may not be the case going forward, though.
It was nice to see Henderson back on the field and Maye get out of his head to make the simple throws he missed in the opener. But with Brown nursing an injury, it'll take a team effort to keep the chains moving while he's out there.
Douglas isn't necessarily known for his physicality. If anything, he's a twitchy guy and a bit of a tweener who most people would choose as a YAC specialist rather than the type of player who favors contact.
Watching him put his body on the line and give it his all to move two bigger guys out of the way should send a strong message to everyone else on the team. What's your excuse? If Pop can do it, everyone should too.
This is a team sport first and foremost. While most of the responsibility, glory, and blame will ultimately fall on the quarterback's shoulders, an entire ecosystem makes life easier for whoever is under center. There's no ego or 'I' here; everybody has to chip in.
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