After years of offensive struggles post-Tom Brady, second-year quarterback Drake Maye brought the New England Patriots back to life despite minimal investment in the offensive weapons. The receivers, many of whom had failed to find chemistry with Maye, were dotting around the field on their way to an MVP-caliber campaign.
One wideout who benefitted from Maye’s improved play was 2023 sixth-round pick DeMario Douglas, who finally found the end zone after Maye took over. However, in the Patriots’ AFC Championship matchup against the Denver Broncos, the third-year wide receiver has been shut out.
What Happened to New England Patriots WR DeMario Douglas?
No, Douglas is not injured; in fact, he has not missed a game over the last two seasons, becoming one of the more reliable presences on the Patriots offense during Maye’s tenure. However, he did see his target share drop this season as the addition of veteran Stefon Diggs in the offseason affected many on the roster.
After catching 66 of 87 targets for 621 yards and three touchdowns, Douglas saw his target share plummet this season, catching 31 of 46 targets for 447 yards, but he was able to match his touchdown total. So far through two quarters, Douglas has failed to haul in his lone target from Maye against the Broncos in the AFC Championship game.
Despite Douglas’ down year in yardage production, the Patriots’ offense was one of the NFL’s better units in 2025. According to PFSN’s Offense Impact metric, the New England finished the season as the 2nd-ranked offense behind the Los Angeles Rams with a score of 86.6.
A lot of that was due to Maye ranking as the second-best signal-caller in the league in PFSN’s QB Impact metric, but the receivers also played a part. Diggs’ addition to the offense has been invaluable as he has excelled after a down year with the Houston Texans. Diggs caught 85 of 102 targets for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. He was also the fourth-overall in PFSN’s WR Impact with a score of 87.
The Patriots are also the only team with a trio of receivers in the top 25 of PFSN’s WRi, with Diggs fourth, Kayshon Boutte ranked 18th overall with a score of 81.5, and Douglas finishing the season at 25th overall with a score of 79.3.
While the Patriots’ offense has been firing on all cylinders this season, they struggled to get much going in the first half against PFSN’s top-ranked defense, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric, and it has shown. However, the Patriots got a boost with an 16-play, nine and a half minute field goal drive to take a 10-7 lead out of the locker room in the second half.
