Kendrick Bourne was the Patriots’ best offensive player Sunday, an unsurprising result considering the role New England’s offense had laid out for him.
If only it didn’t take four months to get there.
The Patriots lost another heartbreaker in Week 16, falling to the Cincinnati Bengals following a late-game fumble by running back Rhamondre Stevenson. The game looked like it should have been a blowout, with New England trailing by 22 points at halftime, but the Patriots eventually got back into the game thanks to a few tremendous individual performances — none more impressive than Bourne’s.
Bourne finished with 129 yards from scrimmage against the Bengals, scoring a touchdown and leading the team in catches with six alongside Jakobi Meyers.
After finally being given an opportunity to show what he can do in the Patriots’ new-look downright sloppy offense, Bourne was graded as the best wide receiver in football in Week 16, per Pro Football Focus.
Bourne scored his first touchdown all season Sunday, his first game eclipsing 100 yards receiving. That helped garner him a grade of 93.7 from PFF — eclipsing the likes of Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, DeVonta Smith and NFL MVP candidate Justin Jefferson.
There have been pleads to get Bourne more involved this season, but after reportedly landing in Matt Patricia’s doghouse during training camp, they have gone unacknowledged. Despite his solid play when on the field, Bourne is still being used as New England’s fourth option — and sometimes fifth — at wide receiver. The reason for that? Don’t expect Bill Belichick to tell you.
With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Patriots have to win out to ensure a spot in the playoffs. Continuing to utilize Bourne is viewed by many as a way to help them do that, but only time will tell if the 27-year-old sees an uptick in playing time.
