Patriots need to keep feeding the electric Demario Douglas

FOXBORO -- Kendrick Bourne may have found some competition in the running for Mac Jones' favorite target. Bourne has been Jones' most reliable receiver in New England, but Demario Douglas should be getting plenty of looks from the quarterback going forward.

The Patriots' rookie receiver was electric in his return from a concussion in Sunday's comeback win over the Bills, making the most in his uptick of playing time as JuJu Smith-Schuster sat out for a second straight week. Douglas played 37 snaps -- behind only Bourne and Rhamondre Stevenson on offense-- and accounted for 74 yards of offense against Buffalo.

Jones went to Douglas on the first play of the game and the receiver turned a short pass on the left side into a nine-yard pickup as he slipped by defenders. It was a sign of things to come for the Jones-Douglas connection.

On New England's second drive, Douglas took a short pass on the right side and moved the chains for the Patriots. Later in the drive, Jones dialed up Douglas' number on a third-and-1, and the receiver made an incredible diving catch in the middle of the field for a 16-yard pickup.

Douglas had 54 yards off his four receptions, and he also made guys miss as a rusher too. He broke off a nice run for 20 yards on New England's first possession of the second half, slipping a defender that could have dropped him after just a few yards. Instead, Douglas broke upfield and helped set up a field goal for the Patriots.

He also did his thing and made defenders look silly as he scampered for a 25-yard punt return in the second quarter. That also set up a New England field goal.

The 5-foot-8 Douglas is a tricky guy to bring down with his quick cuts and jukes, and boy does he look good at making defenders look completely lost in the art of tackling.   

"It just happens, like a little instinct," Douglas said after New England's 29-25 win. "I play with confidence. I don't want the first person to tackle me. So it's just a thing."

Douglas' biggest play didn't even register as a catch in the score sheet. With the Patriots trailing 25-22 with 23 seconds left, Jones went to Douglas on first-and-goal. The receiver made the tough catch with defenders on him at the 1-yard line, but also drew his second defensive pass interference call of the day. It gave the Patriots a fresh set of downs at the Buffalo 1-yard line, and two plays later, Mike Gesicki hauled in the game-winning touchdown.

When the Patriots' offense needed a pop on Sunday, they found it in Douglas. But the rookie was quick to point out that he was far from the only player making plays in the team's biggest win of the season. 

"I felt like this game, we all play for each other. There was no 'I'. We all played for each other until the end, play for 60 minutes," said Douglas.

The Patriots' offense had been hoping to get such impactful plays out of receivers like DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster, but neither have been able to come through. On Sunday, the Patriots got their big plays out of a sixth-round pick out of Liberty. 

It has been a struggle for Mac Jones and the Patriots' offense throughout the season, but Jones is starting to pinpoint which receivers he likes -- and trusts -- the most. Douglas is clearly emerging as one of those guys, and the Patriots should keep feeding the ball to the rookie in crucial situations.

On an offense that doesn't have a lot of flashy firepower, Douglas is showing that he has plenty of electricity to spark the team.