FOXBORO — Stefon Diggs and Drake Maye started practicing together just five months ago.
Diggs caught passes exclusively in drills last spring, then against live defense starting in training camp. By the time Diggs reached the regular season, his chemistry with Maye couldn’t quite bloom yet. They had lost too much time together in the offseason, while Diggs split his time between practice and rehabbing from an ACL tear.
But now, the whole league can see they’re up to speed.
Diggs is among the NFL’s leaders in receiving yards, thanks to back-to-back 100-yard games in big Patriots wins. His 146 yards at Buffalo last Sunday night were the most recorded by a Pats receiver in more than three years. Diggs is now looking ahead to New Orleans, where the Patriots will travel this weekend as slight road favorites.
Judging by his latest comments, Diggs and Maye might have more in store for opponents as soon as Sunday.
“I think (there’s) a lot of room for growth,” Diggs said Wednesday at his locker. “Being on the same page isn’t just a one-game thing. It’s (working) back in practice this week. So, we’ve got a long way to go. I look forward to it.”
Through five games, Diggs is the Patriots’ top receiver by almost every metric. He leads them in targets (34), catches (29), receiving yards (387) and first downs (17). Across the NFL, Diggs has the second-highest catch rate among wide receivers who have seen at least 20 targets this season, per Sports Info. Solutions.
That reflects directly on his chemistry with Maye, who has repeatedly found him in critical situations because of his ability to exploit soft spots in zone coverage.
“Finding the zone (holes) is where the league is,” Diggs said. “Now, (there’s) not too much man-to-man coverage. There’s still sprinkles here and there. But being able to know where you are, and having a plan — it’s just playing football. I try not to make things overcomplicated. It’s like we’re still in the backyard.”
Last week against the Bills, Maye targeted Diggs on five third-down plays and started four drives by throwing in his direction. Maye has repeatedly said he feels compelled to get Diggs the ball more. The past two weeks, that extra attention has paid off.