EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Last weekend against the Dolphins, Demario “Pop” Douglas didn’t play another offensive snap after a first quarter fumble.
It didn’t take the rookie long to escape Bill Belichick’s doghouse though.
Douglas was right back in the mix from the first series in the Meadowlands and in a crucial moment, they put the ball in his hands. As the Patriots were trying to put the Jets away, they had the ball deep in their own territory. On a second-and-8 with 2:09 remaining, Mac Jones flipped the ball to Douglas on an end around. As the rookie came around the edge, he had two hands on the ball. There was no way he was fumbling again.
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“It felt great just to know the coaches have confidence in me,” Douglas told MassLive at his locker after the 15-10 win. “And man, it felt great to get a dub.”
Douglas finished with a 15-yard catch, a 5-yard run, and should have drawn a significant pass interference flag late in the second quarter. He believed it was his work on the practice field that got him back onto the turf so quickly at MetLife Stadium.
“I feel like it started in practice, how I came with my attitude,” Douglas said. “I’ve got that play-the-next-play mentality and came to practice with that mentality. And I harped on ball security. So this game, I made it show. I always finished with the ball.”
In addition to the snaps on offense, Belichick also trusted the rookie to return punts on a rainy, windy afternoon in New Jersey. The Liberty University product relished the chance.
“I like a challenge. It was fun, actually,” Douglas said. “Gave me my college vibes again being back there at punt return again. Finally getting them game reps and be back to myself back there again.”
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