The Patriots' DeMario Douglas scored more than just the first touchdown of his career in Week 6

The excitement over Drake Mayes' first NFL start last Sunday was easily the biggest storyline heading into the Patriots' Week 6 game against the Texans, and for good reason. It seemed a long time coming, especially to those who believed he should have been in the starting XI, and he made an impressive debut despite the defeat.

It was the official start of the Maye era in New England, and the rookie's memorable day sparked a lot of optimism for the future. Added to that was the chemistry that was already developing between him and the offense, particularly with wide receiver DeMario Douglas, who led the Patriots in receiving yards last year.

The expectation was that Douglas would continue that path this year, especially with Kendrick Bourne sidelined for the first four games. But the connection with Jacoby Brissett was missing, which led to frustration for the receiver and the rest of the offense.

However, it wasn't long before Maye took advantage of Douglas' explosive style of play against an excellent Texans defense, and the pair connected in the end zone for Douglas' first career touchdown.

That was definitely worth celebrating, but the receiver also accomplished another important feat that seems to have gone unnoticed this week.

Maye took advantage of the clear connection on Sunday and made Douglas his go-to guy throughout the game. It turned out to be a smart decision as the receiver totaled 6/9 receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown.

What was notable was that he finally scored his first touchdown, but also the fact that Douglas had the most yards by a Patriots wide receiver in a single game since the Week 16 game against the Bengals on December 24, 2022. That was a game that ran through Bourne, who totaled six receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown, leading all receivers in this loss.

While that's another accomplishment to add to Douglas' impressive week, it's also a testament to how much the Patriots' receiving corps has struggled in recent years. Many teams around the league have receivers who reach 100 yards every week, but that hasn't been the case in Foxboro in a long time.

With Douglas back on the rise, Bourne back in the lineup and plenty of potential from rookie Ja'Lynn Polk, the Patriots could have a winning combination to find their clear WR1, or at least a deadly trio for Maye to work with for the foreseeable future can.

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