Clamoring foul about the trade of Kayshon Boutte was rampant when it happened back in August.

And that dismay only grew when A.J. Brown succumbed to injury in the New England Patriots’ season opener in Seattle.

Brought in to be Brown’s partner in crime, Romeo Doubs gave fans little hope with his performance against the Seahawks. He dropped a potentially game-changing ball and didn’t factor into the passing game enough to justify his $68 million price tag.

Well, the tables turned for Doubs on Sunday afternoon, up against a good defensive squad in the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a big reason why the team pulled out a 20-3 win in their home opener.

Doubs Shines With Critical Catches

The eye-catching part of Doubs’ play against the Steelers was his instinctual movement to get up the field, as quarterback Drake Maye does his typical scramble-to-make-it-happen move.

On a third-and-5 in the third quarter, Maye sped outside of the pocket and lofted one up to Doubs, who turned his route up field at the perfect time for a 29-yard gain.

The former Green Bay Packer didn’t stop there when an additional scramble drill resulted in being open near the sideline once more. This time, it felt like a back-breaker for the Steelers – a 63-yard gain for New England that marked its largest game of the season.

With only about two minutes left in the third quarter following Doubs’ vital reception, the Patriots would’ve had to royally screw up to get out of field goal range. They didn’t, and Andy Borregales came through with a 45-yard field goal conversion.

Maye wasn’t great again, and that’s a different debate to have. 

But Maye’s so-so performance ultimately works in Doubs favor, considering the ex-Nevada star had no choice but to reel off those big-time snags in order to prevent a second-consecutive nail-biting finish for the Patriots.

“I thought the day was productive,” Doubs said. “I just look forward to continuously improving and moving on to what’s next.”

Can Pats Win Going Forward With Doubs As WR1?

The good news about Doubs putting up 96 yards is that his impact will likely help snatch victories in the future. And he's likely a better overall receiver than Boutte in this offense, who was more of a one-trick pony with the deep ball. Doubs showed that Sunday, and it's why the trade worked out in the end.

The more worrisome aspect of the upcoming games without Brown is the now-available film of Josh McDaniels’ scheme without Brown.

The first team to dive into how McDaniels utilized Doubs will be the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are a not-so-easy team, though they’ve shown some weakness as of late.

It’s really Jacksonville’s defensive front that’s the problem, so if the Patriots can hold off Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker and Co., fans should feel comfortable with Maye having time to attack the secondary. 

And that comfortability – despite the renowned Travis Hunter lining up for the Jaguars at cornerback – is due to Bo Nix putting up 288 yards in Week 2. 

Hunter wasn’t the weak link when facing Nix and the Broncos, but he let his handsiness get the best of him by drawing a pass interference call that led to Denver’s go-ahead score.

A Doubs v. Hunter battle could be a fun one to watch. And in the end, it could be the matchup that spells victory for New England if all goes well.

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