FOXBORO - Mike Vrabel made it clear he wasn’t interested in revisiting the Romeo Doubs critique after the New England Patriots’ 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Asked in his postgame press conference about Doubs rebounding from a catchless Week 1, Vrabel pushed back on the idea that one quiet opener should define the veteran receiver.
"Rome dropped one ball last week in the first game," Vrabel said bluntly. "People drop passes.
People miss tackles. You guys just don't see them all the time, you guys see the drops and the easy ones.
"Rome got back to work. (He) worked extremely hard.
(Wide receivers coach) Todd (Downing) did a great job. Again, we'll get back and coach him."
Doubs answered with his best performance yet in a Patriots uniform. In his second game with New England - and his first without A.J.
Brown beside him - he hauled in three passes for a game-high 96 yards. His biggest moment came on a 63-yard catch-and-run that helped pull the Patriots out from their own end zone.
"I thought the day was productive," Doubs said postgame, giving praise to the other side of the ball. "Going into this week, I emphasized playing complimentary football. And I think the defense went beyond that, and I salute them.
"I just look forward to just continuously improving and move on to what's next."
The Patriots paid for this kind of impact, giving Doubs a four-year, $68 million deal this offseason. On Sunday, he started showing why. Drake Maye got him involved quickly on a short completion, though Doubs fumbled the ball out of bounds at the end of the play, and later the pair connected on two more chunk gains.
One came when Doubs slipped free along the Steelers’ sideline and turned it into a 29-yard gain. The other was the 63-yard strike that flipped the field in the second half. It was the longest reception of Doubs’ five-year career, and his 96 receiving yards were also a personal best.
New England’s offense still had its problems. The Steelers limited the Patriots to one rushing touchdown and two field goals, and the unit never fully took control. But the Maye-to-Doubs connection was one of the clearest positives of the afternoon, and it gave the Patriots a glimpse of what the receiver can bring when the ball finds him in space.
"I think I maybe even put it out in front a little more, he may have scored," Maye said. "Good to get some big plays."
With Brown still on IR because of a high-ankle sprain, Doubs is going to stay under the microscope. And if the Patriots’ passing game isn’t suddenly ready to crank out 300-plus yards, that scrutiny probably won’t go away anytime soon.
Still, Week 2 gave Doubs something concrete to point to: production, explosive plays, and a growing rhythm with Maye. For now, that’s enough to quiet the noise - at least until the next question comes up.
In Other News...
Patriots Showed Needed Fight In A Win That Came At A Cost
The Patriots finally got the kind of win they had been chasing, beating the Steelers 20-3 and showing more bite on both sides of the ball than they had in the seasons opening stretch. TreVeyon Hendersons 39-yard touchdown run gave the offense a jolt, while the defense kept Pittsburgh out of rhythm and got key late takeaways to put the game away.
Christian Gonzalez did a strong job matching up with Metcalf, and the overall effort looked like a team that was starting to find its edge. Still, it came at a cost, with Mike Onwenu and DreMont Jones among the players who left with injuries, leaving New England with a little less to celebrate than the final score suggested. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Passing Game Just Took An Early Hit Fans Feared
A.J. Browns Patriots debut ended far earlier than anyone in New England wanted, with the receiver leaving after suffering a right high-ankle sprain and not coming back. The setback immediately changes the feel of a passing game that was hoping to get Brown integrated quickly, and now the focus shifts to how the offense can keep moving without one of its newest targets on the field.
The Patriots have placed Brown on injured reserve, which means he will be out for at least four games. In the meantime, the rest of the receiver group is being pushed into larger roles, and the early test for this passing attack will be how well it can absorb the loss and stay productive while Brown works his way back. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Face A Dangerous Problem In Steelers Matchup
Carlton Davis has been ruled out for the Patriots home opener because of a neck injury, leaving a noticeable hole in a secondary that was already going to be tested. New England now has to lean more heavily on less experienced cornerbacks against a Steelers passing game that, even without one of its key wide receivers, still brings enough firepower to make that absence matter.
The timing is not ideal for a defense trying to settle in early at home, especially since the Patriots did not make any practice squad elevations after Davis was downgraded. That leaves the depth chart a little thinner and the margin for error a little smaller, with a division of labor now shifting to players who will have to hold up in a real early-season stress test. [Read more 🡒]