After turning directly into a bone-rattling hit during Sunday’s New England Patriots win, Kendrick Bourne is phasing the spin move out of his repertoire.
The Patriots wide receiver said the blow he absorbed from Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Jamir Jones taught him an important lesson about knowing when to stop fighting for extra yardage.
“I’m trying to stay away from the spin move,” a smiling Bourne said Wednesday in a video conference. “I didn’t know that guy was there. He was running from behind me, so when I spun, that’s when I finally saw him, turned halfway and ‘boom.’ That was definitely the hardest I’ve ever been hit. But it was cool because I’ve never been hit that hard.
“So I was like, OK, now I know what not to do and when to do it. Time and place for everything. The journey was over, and I should have just went down, and that’s exactly what I get for trying to do too much.”
Bourne, who had 95 yards from scrimmage on seven touches in the 50-10 victory, joked about the Jones hit on Twitter earlier this week. He did not play another snap but was seen laughing on the sideline shortly thereafter.
One of quarterback Mac Jones’ most reliable targets, Bourne has set career highs in catches (52) and receiving yards (776) this season and tied his career high in touchdowns (five). The energetic 26-year-old also has been a threat in the run game (11 carries, 117 yards) and has thrown one touchdown pass.
