FOXBORO — Stefon Diggs doesn’t mince phrases when he’s motivating his Patriots teammates.
After Mack Hollins had the ball punched out of his arms by Jets cornerback Brandon Stephens halfway by way of the fourth quarter of Thursday night time’s 27-14 Patriots win, Diggs walked as much as his fellow veteran broad receiver and mentioned sarcastically, “Properly, it’s good to (expletive) catch the ball.”
Hollins enjoys it. It exhibits that Diggs holds him to a excessive normal. He believes it helps him carry out higher, and he dishes it proper again.
“As a result of we’re each on the age we’re, the expectation is (that) it don’t matter what occurs on a play. Make it,” Hollins mentioned. “The identical approach I used to be giving him crap when he ought to have caught the ball when he obtained hit, he’s gonna give it to me.
Hollins and Diggs haven’t any time for motivational platitudes.
“‘Hey, you’ll get it.’ Nah,” Hollins mentioned. “Make it.”
So, what was Hollins’ message to Diggs after a drop?
“‘You’ll by no means get that play again.’ Like I’ll by no means get that play again,” Hollins mentioned. “I gotta go make some extra. I gotta make another ones.”
Diggs has been an exceptional teammate since becoming a member of the Patriots on a three-year contract this offseason in free company. He’s continually pushing his teammates, younger and previous, offense and protection, to make performs. And he celebrates their successes.
He’s additionally constructed spectacular chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye for the reason that spring, when he was nonetheless restricted whereas recovering from a torn ACL suffered final 12 months.
“It’s simply soccer. OTAs, to coaching camp, to follow all year long,” Diggs mentioned. “Simply sort of studying each other and discovering our spots and doing what he feels snug with, and simply doing my job. It’s not a lot simply — clearly you get snug over the course of time, however simply doing, everyone’s doing their job.”
Maye didn’t want time to get snug with Diggs. The veteran broad receiver has been enjoying within the NFL since Maye was 13 years previous, rising up in North Carolina.
“That belief was constructed up most likely after I was in center college, (when he was) enjoying within the league,” Maye mentioned. “It was way back, guys like him and Hunter (Henry) and Mack. You belief these guys for what they’ve executed on this league, and I simply attempt to give him probabilities.”
Diggs led the Patriots with 9 catches on 11 targets for 105 yards in Thursday night time’s win. It was his third 100-yard efficiency of the season and the thirty ninth of his NFL profession.
With 59 catches for 659 yards and three touchdowns this season, he’s again on tempo for 1,000 yards over 17 video games.
It’s been an unimaginable season for a 31-year-old broad receiver getting back from a severe damage.
“Simply getting again to a uncommon kind and attending to the place I need to be bodily and mentally,” Diggs mentioned. “So, I’m simply grateful to be round — we obtained plenty of weapons on offense. So after I get to make some performs on the market — I left one on the market.
“Simply getting alternatives. And desirous to be myself and be one other pillar on this group. I simply really feel like simply making the most of my alternatives goes to be key. Since you by no means know when you’ll get them. Received plenty of playmakers on this group.”
The Patriots pursued plenty of broad receivers over the past two years. They signed after the preliminary wave of free company and have been lucky to land him. He’s been all the things the group wanted out of a veteran broad receiver and extra.
