New England Patriots
“I believed bro was like proper behind me and that is what made me transfer.”
FOXBOROUGH – DeMario Douglas’s foot was inches away from the place it wanted to be.
On 4th-and-1 with 1:05 remaining within the sport and the Patriots trailing by a landing, Douglas caught the ball with a tiny quantity of area between him and the yard line he wanted to cross.
However instinctively, as he sensed defenders chasing after him, Douglas tried to make a transfer and wound up going backwards for a one-yard loss. The Patriots turned the ball over on downs and Pittsburgh was capable of run out the clock and win the sport.
“It was a play. It wasn’t designed for something,” Douglas mentioned. “I knew I used to be someplace by it as a result of we solely had two yards.”
Douglas knew he was near the road and felt that he needed to make a play. His determination backfired.
Quarterback Drake Maye didn’t emphasize the purpose of getting up subject in a such a short-yardage scenario the way in which he would have appreciated, taking the blame for the way in which issues ended on the Patriots’ closing offensive snap.
“I used to be anticipating stress, anticipating to get one thing out fast,” Maye mentioned. “I want I might have instructed these guys, 4th and 1, simply attempt to catch it and stand up subject. I want I might have instructed them that within the huddle. These little issues go a good distance. Yeah, nothing Pop did unsuitable.”
“Simply he was making an attempt to make a play,” the quarterback added. “I want I might have — we had been anticipating some sort of blitz look. I feel they performed some blitz entice deal. Shoot, that’s simply the league. You’ve received the ball, tied up, and it price us, after which we received the ball with the tie to ship it to time beyond regulation. That’s the NFL. It’s robust, but it surely’s an important expertise.”
The Patriots had been profitable on 4 of their 5 4th-down conversion makes an attempt, with the Douglas catch being the one blemish. Douglas may have made a greater determination on which transfer to make, coach Mike Vrabel mentioned.
“Regarded like they pressured us and Drake received the ball out, and once more, most likely have to simply drop step and be capable to knife,” Vrabel mentioned. “Know these are going to be bang-bang performs and attempt to cut up them and get the first down.”
“It’s exhausting to circle round some defenders,” he added. “I didn’t have one of the best view of it. I might say that the choice that Pop made wasn’t the correct one there simply because we didn’t get it. Received to attempt to both drop step or make them miss.”
Douglas provided an identical perspective within the locker room.
“In all probability knife, go straight up,” Douglas mentioned, when requested what he would do in another way. “I believed bro was like proper behind me and that’s what made me transfer.”
Typically, the distinction between profitable and shedding within the NFL will be lower than a yard. The Patriots got here near extending their closing drive and giving themselves a contemporary set of downs within the closing minute, but it surely wasn’t shut sufficient.
“It hurts. No one likes shedding, particularly the way in which that we misplaced at present,” mentioned Douglas.
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