The Patriots have made one thing clear after Romeo Doubs’ rough opener: they are not turning on him.
That matters now more than ever. With A.J. Brown on injured reserve after suffering an ankle injury, New England’s receiving picture got a lot thinner, and Doubs is suddenly staring at a much bigger role than the one most people had in mind when the team signed him in free agency.
The reaction to his debut against the Seahawks was brutal. He was hardly a factor in the game, then made things worse with a bobbled pass that turned into an interception and a crushing drop. By the days after the loss, fans were hammering him on social media, and the noise only grew louder once Brown went down.
Josh McDaniels, though, isn’t backing away from Doubs at all. Appearing on WEEI last week, the Patriots’ play caller was asked about the receiver’s struggles and made it clear the team is staying patient.
“They’re all professionals. Most of these guys have gone through games where they have some ups and some downs. They wouldn’t be where they’re at if they couldn’t handle a little adversity and come back from it.
We’ve seen Romeo make a lot of big plays for us since the spring since we got him and all the way through training camp. We have a lot of confidence in Romeo. I’m confident in what he’s gonna do going forward.”
That kind of public support is standard after one bad game, but it still carries weight for a player who has already become a target in the eyes of frustrated fans.
And Doubs wasn’t the only Patriot who had a shaky night in that game. Drake Maye had his own mistakes, too, and nobody is talking about benching him. The setting didn’t help either: a road game in a hostile environment, in front of the league’s loudest crowd, against the same Seahawks team that had beaten New England seven months earlier.
The Patriots are clearly willing to give Doubs room to recover from it. Their coaches believe he can handle what’s coming next, and with Brown sidelined for potentially six weeks, the pressure and the opportunity on Doubs are both about to get a lot bigger.
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