The Patriots got the kind of clear WR1 performance the team had expected from Stefon Diggs in Week 4, when he went for six catches and 101 yards, his first 100-yard game in two years. They also got their fourth straight pregame motivational speech from Diggs, who has proven to be something of a Sunday sermon-giver every week.
Around the New England locker room, players say that Diggs’ pregame speeches have been hum-dingers, and that his energy before the Week 4 rout of the Panthers in Foxborough was one reason the team started out on full tilt in that game.
“He is fired up. I love his passion for the game. I love his leadership,” rookie TreVeyon Henderson said. “He encourages me a lot. He has been a huge help to this team and getting these guys going.”
Of course, Diggs would gladly hand over the pregame responsibility.
“I will defer to anybody if they want to do the pregame speech,” he said, smiling. “I ain’t mad.”
Stefon Diggs: ‘I Am a High-Energy Guy’
It may or may not be down to Diggs, but the Patriots have had some success in the first quarter of games, outscoring opponents, 26-20, and leading or tied after one quartering three of the four games they’ve played.
Diggs does his best to get the gang rolling from the kickoff.
“It’s important for me to start with the pregame speech because I want to get everybody going,” Diggs said. “I am a high-energy guy, charismatic guy, I come with a lot of energy and a lot of passion. So. I feel like that’s part of the reason they brought me here. Just to be that guy. Just trying to be myself.”
Patriots Getting More From Veteran
It’s helpful for Diggs to begin putting forth the kind of numbers that match his energy, that he can back up his reputation as a veteran star with actual star production. The Patriots got that on Sunday, and for the first time since Jakobi Meyers in 2020, New England is being led in both receptions and yardage by a receiver, not with a tight end or running back mixed in.
Diggs has 19 catches and 213 yards, both of which top the team’s stats list.
“I feel like it was hard for me because the past couple of weeks I want to show more, I want to do more, I want to, you know, be a leader,” Diggs said. “But I feel like it comes from consistency. Especially, like, in practice, guys leaning on you and trusting you that you’re doing the right thing all the time.
“I feel like part of being a leader is that you’re accountable—not when everybody’s around but full-time, full-circle and holding guys to a standard. But you can’t hold guys to a standard if you’re not holding yourself.”
Patriots’ Henry Backs Diggs
One of the team’s unquestioned leaders—captain and tight end Hunter Henry—appreciates that Diggs is still coming back from ACL surgery (last October) and is only going to get better.
“He’s a guy that we rely on heavily, a guy that has had a lot of success in this league, and for him to show up like he did today is huge,” Henry said.
“I think he’s continuing to gain confidence in his knee and just in the whole process of coming back from that because I know how that process can be. I’ve been through it myself. But just awesome to see him out there flying around. He’s been a tremendous teammate, a guy that a lot of guys feed off of and brings a great energy to the room.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Patriots’ Stefon Diggs Pregame Routine Leaving Its Mark appeared first on Heavy Sports.