The Patriots got the win they needed in Week 6, but DeMario Douglas still left Foxboro with a mistake he won’t want to revisit.
New England’s early-season problems had already piled up before Sunday: a 1-2 start, injuries, Drake Maye’s shaky play, and a string of costly turnovers. Maye had been the biggest culprit, sitting atop the league in interceptions for two straight weeks. Rhamondre Stevenson’s fumbling issues had also been part of the picture, though those appeared to be behind him.
That mess briefly returned against the Jets, only this time it wasn’t Maye or Stevenson putting the ball on the ground. Douglas and TreVeyon Henderson were the ones who created the turnover trouble and gave New York another opening to steal the game in Foxboro.
Fortunately for the Patriots, that didn’t happen. But the damage of a fumble like that is still obvious, and Douglas made no attempt to hide how he felt afterward.
He told reporters he was "doing too much" and said the mistake made him sick.
Pop Douglas on his fumble:
"I'm sick. I can't lie.
I'm sick. That gonna haunt me...
I just gotta stop doing too much."
- @CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/QDcxMLKiv8
- Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) October 18, 2026
That kind of reaction matters. This wasn’t a shrug-and-move-on moment. It sounded like a player who understands how close he came to making a bad situation much worse, and who knows he has to clean it up.
The encouraging part for New England is that ball security has not been a lingering issue for Douglas in his career, so there’s no real reason to treat this as a season-long concern.
What should continue, though, is his role in the offense. Douglas has been one of the Patriots’ more reliable weapons lately, and the production backs that up.
Over the last four games, he has 14 catches for 204 yards and three touchdowns. That already matches his touchdown total from last year and gets him halfway to his yardage from 2024, when he broke out with 66 receptions for 621 yards and three scores.
That kind of steady output matters even more now. Mack Hollins is out for at least two more games, and A.J.
Brown is still getting back up to speed with the pace of regular-season football. With Drake Maye needing dependable targets, Douglas is the kind of receiver who can help move the chains and give the offense a lift.
And the Patriots need that help. Multiple starting offensive linemen are out, the running game has been inconsistent, and the receiver rotation keeps changing because of injuries.
Douglas may be the best option to provide some spark over the next four weeks before the bye. After what he’s shown recently, Josh McDaniels should have all the reason he needs to keep feeding him the ball.
In Other News...
Patriots Injury Report Puts Two Critical Position Groups In Focus
The Patriots injury report on Wednesday put a couple of key spots under the microscope as they began to turn the page toward Chicago. Carlton Davis III was back on the field in a limited capacity after missing multiple practices and games with a neck injury, a sign that New England is at least getting some movement in the right direction on defense. There were still several players working as non-participants or limited participants, leaving the coaching staff to manage another week with the roster in flux.
The bigger concern, though, sits in the trenches, where Mike Vrabel sounded pessimistic about the teams guard depth for the upcoming matchup with the Bears. With the line already dealing with uncertainty, the Patriots may have to piece things together again up front if the availability picture does not improve later in the week. For a team trying to stabilize both protection and physicality, the injury report feels especially important this time around. [Read more 🡒]
A.J. Brown Reacts As Jalen Hurts Faces A Serious Health Setback
Jalen Hurts latest health scare has sent a ripple through the NFL, and it naturally hit close to home for anyone who spent time around the Eagles quarterback room. Hurts is undergoing treatment after a diagnosis that is expected to keep him out for the 2026 season, but the encouraging part is that doctors expect a full recovery once he is cleared to return to normal life and, eventually, football.
A.J. Brown, now with the Patriots after his run in Philadelphia, was among those publicly showing support for his former quarterback. For New England fans, it is a reminder of how tightly connected Hurts still is to former teammates around the league, even as the football side of the story takes a back seat to a much more important one. The immediate concern is Hurts health, and the next step is simply waiting for him to move through treatment and get back to football activities when he is medically able. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have A Bigger Romeo Doubs Problem Than Expected
The Patriots receiver room took a hit in the kind of way that can reshape a game plan overnight. Romeo Doubs suffered a shoulder injury on his touchdown catch against the Jets and has since been placed on injured reserve, leaving New England to sort through a thin group at a position where every available body matters.
Mike Vrabel said there is no set timeline for Doubs to return this season, which only adds to the uncertainty as the Bears game approaches. With just four active wide receivers on the roster and offensive line injuries piling up as well, the Patriots are suddenly dealing with a depth problem that stretches beyond one injury and into the way they may have to piece together the offense going forward. [Read more 🡒]