The New England Patriots have been one of the best surprise teams of the 2025 NFL season. After a four-win 2024 campaign, the team is already up to five wins entering Week 8 while holding the first seed in the AFC East. A major reason for their success has been the ascendance of Drake Maye into a superstar quarterback.
But his arrival has coincided with a career renaissance from one of the most talented wide receivers of the generation, Stefon Diggs. Turning back the clock on his career, Diggs has been a godsend for Maye through the early parts of the season. But when they faced the Cleveland Browns, the production from Diggs was, unfortunately, not there.
What Happened to Stefon Diggs?
So far this year, the schedule for the Patriots has been relatively easy, leading to some doubts about the value of their record. In Week 8, they weren’t getting a major step-up in competition with the Cleveland Browns.
However, they offered a far stiffer defensive challenge, as was clear when New England walked into the break with a minor 9-7 lead. A major reason for their slow start was the regression game from Diggs.
Finishing with just two catches on four targets, he added just 13 receiving yards to the tally for the Patriots. For the wide receiver ranked fourth on PFSN’s Wide Receiver Impact, that was far from the numbers the team may have been expecting.
After six consecutive seasons with 1,000 or more receiving yards, Diggs had his season end prematurely last season with the Houston Texans due to a torn ACL. This year, as he joined the Patriots on a three-year deal worth $63.5 million, he had to prove that the franchise hadn’t overpaid for his services.
Through seven games, with 456 yards to his credit, including a monstrous 146-yard outing against his former team, the Buffalo Bills, he was proving to be a key piece in the development journey of Maye.
In the second half, though, New England put the burners on. Going berserk on offense, they finished the game with 32 points, as they soundly defeated the Browns by 19 points. Diggs, unfortunately, did not have a wildly productive second half either.
Finishing the game with 14 receiving yards on three catches, his numbers seemed far from extraordinary. However, he caught the touchdown pass, his first of the season, that ultimately opened the valves for the Patriots, allowing them to pull away for a comfortable victory.
