FOXBORO — In these moments, Stefon Diggs says he’s simply enjoying within the yard.
The instances he stops halfway by means of a crossing route, sits between two defenders and whips towards Drake Maye.
Or instinctively snaps off his route down the sideline to grab a back-shoulder throw.
Or veers upfield as soon as he sees Maye scramble out of the pocket, and spins away from his defender to dash beneath the arch of one other pinpoint move.
However the factor concerning the yard is you solely performed with these you knew greatest.
Buddies, siblings, associates of siblings or siblings of associates. By NFL requirements, Maye and Diggs are nonetheless strangers.
When you begin with the primary passes they first threw collectively within the spring, Diggs and Maye have spent simply 5 or 6 months collectively. When you begin with the primary passes they threw towards stay protection, it’s extra like two and a half.
Their connection, unstated but completely understood, is much less yard and extra like soccer magic; the kind that may carry a plucky crew over a particular season. How else do you clarify the Pats pulling off their largest primetime, regular-season upset final Sunday?
Nicely, Maye accomplished his first game-winning drive of his profession. He opened with an off-platform, 12-yard completion to Diggs, a slice of quarterback sorcery. That catch gave Diggs 146 receiving yards, the second-most he’s ever had in a sport at Buffalo. Thoughts you, Diggs performed for the Payments for 4 years, when he tortured the Pats.
Now, contemplate the place the Patriots could be with out him.
Sitting at 2-3. Nonetheless looking for their first win streak since 2022. Speaking about ethical victories and taking the lengthy view. As an alternative, due to their quarterback and his new favourite receiver, the dialog across the Patriots now whirs with creativeness, hope.
Would possibly they win three in a row beginning Sunday with the Saints? How about 4, looking forward to Tennessee? Possibly 5 as soon as they arrive house to face the Browns? What a few run to the playoffs?
Wherever the Patriots’ path leads, Maye will likely be behind the wheel and Diggs will likely be using shotgun.
Maye seems for Diggs in vital conditions, together with 5 third-down performs at Buffalo, and at the beginning of drives. 4 of the Patriots’ 10 possessions that night time opened with passes in Diggs’ course. His calling card isn’t the straight-line pace, nor the acceleration that outlined his early profession.
It’s the easy incontrovertible fact that regardless of the protection, regardless of the decision, regardless of the crushing strain he finds himself beneath, Maye can flip, hearth and belief Diggs will catch no matter he throws at him.
Diggs has the second-highest catch charge amongst extensive receivers who’ve seen not less than 20 passes, per Sports activities Information. Options. He’s the NFL’s second-best extensive receiver towards man-to-man protection, in keeping with Professional Soccer Focus grades. And he’s water to any cracks in zone protection, settling into them immediately.
“Discovering the zone (holes) is the place the league is,” Diggs mentioned Wednesday. “Now, (there’s) not an excessive amount of man-to-man protection. There’s nonetheless sprinkles right here and there. However with the ability to know the place you’re, and having a plan — it’s simply enjoying soccer. I strive to not make issues overcomplicated. It’s like we’re nonetheless within the yard.”
Zooming out, after all Diggs leads the Pats in all main receiving classes: targets (34), reception (29), receiving yards (387) and receiving first downs (17). However that’s a sea change from the primary three weeks, when Diggs barely averaged 37 yards per sport.
Days earlier than Diggs broke out within the Patriots’ blowout of Carolina in Week 4, Maye mentioned he felt compelled get him the ball. Maye did it once more final week.
Now, we all know why.
“I believe the largest factor is that he’s a receiver that’s simple to throw to,” Maye mentioned Wednesday. “He has nice fingers. He catches other ways along with his physique. He turns with the soccer and makes folks miss very simply. It’s very pure. You may simply inform he’s performed receiver a very long time and performed at a excessive stage. So (I’m) simply making an attempt to place it in his neighborhood, and he all the time says, ‘I obtained you.’ ”
Diggs shared this week that he anticipates a shock in New Orleans. A changeup in protection, maybe, or a brand new blitz. The Patriots ought to count on the Saints to double-team him, significantly on third down, and they might be smart to leverage that additional consideration to release their different receivers.
But when Maye is compelled to steer one other game-winning drive, you realize the place the ball goes.
To the receiver he needs early and sometimes; to the receiver who catches something and all the things; to the receiver who by discovering his outdated type has reworked his new crew.
