Diggs returns in Patriots debut with six catches in loss to Raiders

Stefon Diggs returned to action for the New England Patriots on Sunday, catching six passes for 57 yards in his team debut at Gillette Stadium as the Patriots opened the season with a 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. The outing marked Diggs first game since tearing an ACL last October and his first appearance in New England since signing with the team in March.

Diggs was targeted seven times and converted nearly all looks thrown his way while reporters and team sources differed on his snap count. Those accounts placed him between 31 and 40 offensive snaps, roughly 44 to 48 percent of the Patriots plays. He said his knee responded well to contact and that he felt grateful to be back on the field. "I actually missed the contact portion of it as far as getting hit a little bit," Diggs said. "I had these moments where I was like, damn, I missed this so much, and I'm so thankful to be back around what I love to do."

The game also served as a major audition for second-year quarterback Drake Maye and for the Patriots offense under new head coach Mike Vrabel. Maye completed 30 of 46 passes for 287 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but was under constant pressure. He was...