Long before trading for A.J. Brown, the New England Patriots knew they needed a possession receiver if they weren't going to keep Stefon Diggs. Romeo Doubs was available, and he had shown flashes of strong play in Green Bay.
That's why the Patriots quickly lured him away from Lambeau Field with a four-year, $68 million contract. And while he hadn't done much to earn that money in the first three weeks, his latest performance may have validated that investment.
Per the Patriots' P.R. department, this was Doubs' fifth career game with at least two touchdown receptions. That kind of end-zone production makes him worth getting more involved in the passing game.
The Patriots must get their money's worth with Romeo Doubs
Doubs's performances have left plenty to be desired thus far. Lazy route-running, drops, and missed grabs were frustrating to watch, but then he broke loose and found paydirt twice when the team needed him the most.
Drake Maye targeted a game-high nine times, and he turned those touches into six receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns. Doing so against such a physical defense as the Buffalo Bills' is no small feat, more so when the field gets shorter as the offense approaches the end zone.
Doubs already knows what it's like to step up when a star is out. He was often asked to do so whenever Christian Watson had to miss time, making big catch after big catch as the Packers' most consistent wide receiver.
With 25 percent of the season already in the books, the Doubs' experience has been a bit of a roller coaster, but this may have been the performance he needed to get the monkey off his back once and for all.
Over four games, the former Day 2 pick has 12 receptions for 203 yards and two scores, averaging a modest 50.8 yards per game but a much more impressive 16.9 yards per reception. The offense didn't get going in the first three weeks, so those numbers should only trend up.
Doubs left the Packers because he wanted a bigger role and felt he had earned it after logging 21 touchdown receptions over four years. Now, with A.J. Brown gone and Mack Hollins potentially missing time, the Patriots will need him to be the guy he always claimed he would be if given more opportunities.
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