Patriots’ Stefon Diggs Has No Problem in Risking NFL Punishment to Help Struggling Drake Maye

The New England Patriots’ wide receiver Stefon Diggs is stirring the pot. After scoring his touchdown in Week 9, Diggs signaled ‘one’ pump with his finger and performed the pump-fake celebration with some teammates. That celebration didn’t draw a flag. But now on Instagram, he’s playing with fire, likely aware the NFL’s crackdown on celebrations isn’t just talk.

The Patriots’ official Instagram handle posted a picture of that celebration, celebrating their victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Diggs shared this picture on his Instagram story and dropped a teaser of what’s coming next week.

“3 pumps incoming???”

Diggs and Co. also had the same touchdown celebration in their Week 8 victory over the Cleveland Browns. That happened to be his first touchdown, not just for the season, but also as part of the New England Patriots’ offense. Repeating the gesture (and a touchdown) in Week 9, Diggs’ confidence has only grown with the Pats.

In fact, he wasn’t alone. Interestingly enough, the Carolina Panthers’ running back Rico Dowdle also did the pump fake celebration in their Week 9 victory. But Dowdle did two pumps, and that cost him a flag. That penalty cost the Panthers an extra point, and a fine could follow. However, it would appear that Diggs doesn’t seem worried.

Diggs’ three pumps would almost certainly draw a fine or flag. The league has tightened down on ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ like never before. On the other hand, Diggs has posted one touchdown and one pump-fake in each of the last two weeks’ games. Could it simply be a wordplay to mean that the third one is coming in Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

It could either be his 3rd pump-fake TD celebration or a three-pump TD celebration. Whatever the case, for Stefon Diggs, this celebration is much more than style or pushing the league’s boundaries. Diggs’ touchdowns will invariably help the Patriots’ quarterback Drake Maye.

Stefon Diggs’ celebration, Drake Maye’s boost

After an uneven start to the season, Drake Maye quickly found his footing and helped the Patriots get to a 6-game win-streak. But with the season heating up in November, Maye’s number has started to shake. 

Week 9 served as a reminder of this. His two costly turnovers and rising sack count showed why the offense needs a lift. Despite the win, Maye took the interception and lost fumble on himself and admitted there’s room for improvement.

“I’ve got to play better for this team down the road. … It’s tough in a game you win; you can feel in that locker room that these guys know we can play better.”

Diggs, though, is all-in with his quarterback. While Maye criticized himself, Diggs had his own take on the quarterback’s struggles.

“I’m riding with Drake Maye. Things aren’t going to be perfect. I tell y’all all the time, it’s hard as sh*t to play quarterback.”

Diggs’ celebrations, in that case, aren’t just fun, but also purposeful. They help keep the offense’s spirits up. Diggs shows it’s okay to keep fighting and stay loose. In fact, every touchdown completion between Diggs and Maye only adds to the reasons to celebrate.

It’s safe to say that in the next game, many will be on the look out for those pumps. It’s about more than celebrating now. It’s about keeping the fire alive. Diggs has, 3-pumps or not, promised more touchdowns. Altogether, the Pats’ season’s about to get a lot more interesting.

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