Romeo Doubs may have finally delivered the kind of performance the New England Patriots were betting on when they handed him a four-year, $68 million deal.
The Patriots knew they needed a possession receiver if they were going to move on from Stefon Diggs, and Doubs was sitting there after showing real flashes in Green Bay. New England moved quickly to pull him away from Lambeau Field, banking on a player who had already shown he could make tough catches and work as a reliable target.
For the first three weeks, though, the payoff was hard to see. Doubs had moments that left plenty to be desired, with lazy route-running, drops and missed grabs all showing up on the field. Then came the kind of game that can change the tone around a receiver fast.
Against the Buffalo Bills, Doubs was targeted a team-high nine times and turned that volume into six catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns. That kind of production, especially against a physical defense and in tighter red-zone space, stands out. Per the Patriots' P.R. department, it was the fifth time in his career that he’s had at least two touchdown receptions in a game.
That matters for a Patriots offense that needs him involved. Doubs showed exactly why when the team needed him most, breaking free and finding the end zone twice.
He’s been in this spot before, too. In Green Bay, whenever Christian Watson missed time, Doubs was often the one asked to step up. He answered with big catch after big catch and became the Packers’ most consistent wide receiver.
Now the Patriots need that version of him more often. With 25 percent of the season already gone, Doubs’ first four games have been uneven, but the numbers hint at a player who could still be headed up. He has 12 receptions for 203 yards and two scores, which works out to 50.8 yards per game and 16.9 yards per catch.
The offense has been slow to get rolling through the first three weeks, so those totals could climb. And with A.J. Brown gone and Mack Hollins potentially missing time, the Patriots will need Doubs to become the player he has long believed he could be with a larger role.
That was the whole bet. Doubs left the Packers wanting more opportunity, pointing to the 21 touchdown receptions he logged over four years as proof he had earned it. Against Buffalo, he gave New England a glimpse of why it made the investment in the first place.
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