FOXBORO - Romeo Doubs didn’t offer much Thursday, and that was kind of the point.
At his locker with reporters and cameras crowding around him, the New England Patriots wide receiver stayed measured while talking about a rough season opener and the week ahead against the Pittsburgh Steelers. When asked whether the time between the Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and this Sunday’s game gave him more room to process what happened, Doubs kept it moving.
"I appreciate the question, but what happened in the past must stay in the past," Doubs said. "So, thank you."
That’s the posture Doubs is taking after a debut that fell far short of the summer buzz around him. The Patriots gave him a four-year, $68 million deal in the offseason, and he had flashed all through training camp with a string of eye-catching leaping catches in the back of the end zone. None of that showed up against Seattle, where he finished without a catch on three targets.
One of those looks became the most painful moment of the afternoon: a fourth-quarter drop that eventually led to Drake Maye’s second interception.
Still, Doubs isn’t dwelling on it, and neither is the locker room around him. The focus has already shifted to Pittsburgh coming to town for the home opener, and Doubs said the week has gone well so far.
"(This) week of practice has been pretty good," Doubs said. "I mean, the week isn't over yet.
We're still, obviously, prepating. But I look forward to going out there and winning the game."
His coach took an even cooler view of the whole thing. Mike Vrabel wasn’t interested in making one drop into a bigger story.
"He dropped a pass. You know what I mean?
Guys, everybody drops a pass," Vrabel said this week. "Everybody misses a tackle.
You talk to him the same way you always talk to him. Figure out a way to make a play to help us win, and he did a lot of great things during camp, just like everybody did.
And so, I know he's excited to get back out there, get to work and to find a way to help us win."
Doubs’ role should grow now that A.J. Brown is on IR with a high-ankle sprain, which opens the door for the rest of the wide receiver group to carry more of the load.
For his part, Doubs says he’s ready to move on and keep pushing forward.
"I have a ton of confidence in myself," Doubs said. "I look forward to keeping my humility sane and doing what I do.
Like I've said before, losing in this league isn't (ideal). And what happened in the past must stay in the past.
And our job is to put our best foot forward."
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