FOXBORO — Pop Douglas played just 15 snaps in Miami, a number that reflected only 25 percent of the Patriots’ offensive plays in their first win of the season. He wasn’t targeted with a pass until the fourth quarter, catching it for an eight-yard gain, and he never saw another pass in his direction.
For a player who looked like New England’s most consistent and dynamic wideout in training camp, that workload in Week 2 was noteworthy.
“I feel like that was probably just the game plan for Miami,” Douglas told NBC Sports Boston. “We felt like they couldn’t stop the run, so we did a lot of things to run that ball. I think we did a great job doing that.”
Douglas added, “I know I didn’t play a lot, but we got the dub. I feel like it was a game plan that worked because we came out with the win.”
The Patriots were able to play a drastically different style in Miami because of their ability to run the football.
They were often under center and frequently deployed two-tight end sets to try to grind down the Dolphins. They ended up averaging 4.2 yards per carry, picking up 122 yards on 29 attempts. And whereas quarterback Drake Maye tossed 46 passes in Week 1, he threw just 23 in Week 2.
But that’s not exactly the kind of formula that would lead to a heavy dose of the 5-foot-8, 192-pound Douglas.
“For an athlete who loves the game, that part is frustrating, yeah,” Douglas said. “But, man, at the end of the day, I’m blessed. We got the dub. That would be very selfish of me to come in here angry after a win. I can’t be mad. We got the dub. I did play a little, but we came out with a divisional win.”
Douglas played 45 snaps and was targeted five times, including twice in the end zone, in a more pass-happy Week 1 loss to the Raiders when he caught a two-yard touchdown.
“The big thing with Pop is he’s done such a great job since training camp, since the spring, learning the offense, being in different roles,” Maye said when asked about Douglas’ involvement. “Just stay bringing it. I think that the ball is going to find him. There’s going to be some opportunity where we can get him the football. He’s a great player, good with the ball in his hands.
“Just keep going. Sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce your way in the game play some weeks. … We’ll definitely find ways to get Pop the ball.”
For his part, Douglas is maintaining optimism. He explained that he appreciated when coaches came to him later to tell him why the Miami game went the way it did for him.
“I feel pretty good,” he said. “I come into meetings, nothing negative with what’s going on with my routes and stuff like that. Coach is calling the plays as he sees it. When he sees, you know, ‘We gotta run this big package against this defense,’ you gotta stay focused and trust the process.
“If something’s going right, you don’t want to go away from it. You gotta stay on it and keep pushing the gas. I understand that.”