Why was Demario Douglas benched? Bill Belichick evades answers after Patriots loss

The biggest question coming out of the New England Patriots' latest loss: why did Bill Belichick bench his most dynamic offensive weapon?

Yes, that is exactly what rookie wide receiver Demario Douglas looked like early in the Pats' 24-17 home loss to the Miami Dolphins on "Sunday Night Football." Douglas made two catches for 19 yards over the Patriots' first two offensive drives, showing off his quickness and making tacklers miss for YAC. But unfortunately, Douglas' second catch-and-run ended with a forced fumble by Bradley Chubb that gave the ball back to the Dolphins.

That was Douglas' sixth offensive snap of the game. It was also his final offensive play, as Douglas only saw the field as a punt returner for the rest of the game.

Here are the full unofficial snap counts for the Patriots' skill position players on Sunday night, with official numbers coming later on Monday:

DeVante Parker: 74
Hunter Henry: 69
Rhamondre Stevenson: 54
Mike Gesicki: 53
JuJu Smith-Schuster: 44
Kendrick Bourne: 38
Ezekiel Elliott: 22
Pharaoh Brown: 7
Demario Douglas: 6
Ty Montgomery: 3

Back in the Tom Brady era, it was easy for Belichick to send a message: you fumble, you sit. That would be the easy reason 10 years ago. But this Patriots team? Down multiple touchdowns? With a shaky offensive line, inconsistent pass-catchers, a general lack of explosiveness, and a young quarterback who has struggled to close the deal in competitive games? The Douglas benching felt a little Malcolm Butler-y.

And Belichick didn't make anyone feel much better when he was asked about Douglas' absence after the game. The head coach was as evasive as ever.

"Yeah, we played all of our skill players. They all played," Belichick said. "Look, we had a lot of production on offense. [DeVante] Parker had a good day. [Mike] Gesicki had a good day. Hunter [Henry] had a good day, JuJu [Smith-Schuster], KB [Kendrick Bourne]. So, you know, a lot of good players. Can't play everybody."

Pressed again on Douglas not playing after the fumble, Belichick continued: "We played all of our – yeah, look, we could talk about this every week. And there will be somebody that played less than somebody else. We've got a lot of skilled players."

For the grand finale, reminded once again that Douglas didn't play another offensive snap after fumbling, Belichick replied: "Yeah, okay."

It was understandable if the reins were pulled back on a 5-foot-8 rookie receiver who got a little too loose with the football. But it's curious why Belichick couldn't just acknowledge that. It was odd for Belichick to speak as if there was nothing to see, here.

Douglas himself was accountable for the fumble after the game, and the kid has a great attitude. It's hard not to feel for him, to never get an opportunity (other than a couple punt returns) to redeem himself. As he watched the Patriots offense be so hit-or-miss without him.

"It's something to learn from," Douglas said. "Whenever I get back in there, I'll make it count for sure."

Douglas said coaches never told him that he wasn't going to play another snap on offense. The Patriots opted to go tight end-heavy for much of the game, running 49 of 74 offensive plays (66.2 percent) with two or three TEs on the field.

The Patriots ultimately couldn't overcome two separate 14-point deficits, as the Patriots' final offensive drive came up short on a Mike Gesicki lateral to left guard Cole Strange. It makes one wonder if Mac Jones could have averaged more than 5.5 yards per pass attempt if he had his most explosive weapon on the field more.

Instead, the Patriots are 0-2 for the first time since 2001. And Belichick may be more to blame than anyone else.

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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt's content here.

The New England Patriots are 0-2 on the season after falling to the Miami Dolphins 24-17 on "Sunday Night Football." Here are eight players we graded "UP" or "DOWN" based on their performance in the game...

All in all, a strong season debut for Parker. His numbers don't pop off the stat sheet (six catches, 57 yards), but he passed the eye test as one of Mac Jones' most reliable pass-catchers in the game. The Patriots lack explosiveness on offense in general, so they're going to need Parker to keep winning contested situations.

Douglas made two catches and actually looked like the Patriots' most dynamic offensive player when he touched the ball. Problem is, he couldn't hold onto it. Douglas' fumble after a catch-and-run was an early back-breaker for the Pats, who gave up a Dolphins touchdown on the ensuing drive. Douglas didn't see the field on offense for the rest of the game.

No complaints here. A sack, two total QB hits, two tackles for loss. Judon even dropped into coverage at times. He spoke at length about his disappointment in the Patriots' slow starts to games, but it's hard to put him on that list.

Strange was finally healthy enough to play, but didn't look quite ready for full-speed in-game action. The Dolphins consistently pressured Jones on the interior during the game, forcing rushed throws and sending the quarterback running for his life at times. Strange almost redeemed himself when he caught a Mike Gesicki lateral on fourth down, but officials ruled he was short. It's good to have Strange back in action, but he needs to play a lot better than that.

Two games, two touchdowns for Henry. He continues to be a consistently reliable target for Jones in the passing game. Makes you wonder what this offense might look like without him. They lack big-play explosiveness as a unit, but Henry's production is fueling improvement in the red zone.

It's not totally fair to heap too much blame on Anderson, because the Patriots offensive line was leaky across the board in the game. But this was a guy the Pats signed to possibly play a starting role, and he hasn't lived up to that. Again, maybe that's more Bill Belichick's fault for putting him in this position in the first place. But it wasn't a good game for Anderson.

Schooler gets an easy thumbs up after blocking a Dolphins field goal attempt in the third quarter. Mac Jones threw an interception in the red zone on the ensuing drive, but that shouldn't take away from what was a great play by Schooler, and a unique-looking play-call by the Pats' improved special teams units.

It's not Bryant's fault that Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones, and Marcus Jones (so, so many Joneses) were all absent at one point in the game. But he struggled in coverage against Jaylen Waddle, in what was admittedly a mismatch.

Click here for complete New England Patriots coverage at 985TheSportsHub.com.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. Check out all of Matt's content here.

NEXT: Patriots fall to 0-2 on 2023 season after loss to Dolphins